Toddlers experience a musical telling of Hansel and Gretel

February 6, 2015

Guelph, ON February 6, 2015 – The classic fairly tale Hansel and Gretel serves as the inspiration for the next concert in the popular Wooly Kinderconcerts series at Guelph’s River Run Centre. In this musical telling of the tale, audience members will follow brother and sister Hansel and Gretel as their innocent stroll into the forest to gather berries leads to a misadventure involving a dark wood, a scary witch and a house made out of gingerbread. There are three performances slated to take place on Saturday, February 21 in the Co-operators Hall, with start times at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, and 11:30 am. Each show is approximately 40 minutes long.

The Wooly Kinderconcerts series seeks to expose preschool-aged children to classical music. Members of the Guelph Symphony Orchestra perform abridged versions of famous works. Audience sizes are small, and enthusiastic participation is welcome. The concerts give little ones a chance to see and hear orchestral instruments performed by professional musicians, helping to nurture an interest in music. After the performance the young – and often curious – concertgoers are encouraged to ask questions, and can see and touch the instruments.

The Kinderconcert version of Hansel and Gretel is based on the nineteenth-century opera by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck. Legend has it that the idea for the opera came from the composer’s sister, Adelheid Wette, who requested that her brother compose music for songs she had written for her children for Christmas based upon the famous tale by the Brothers Grimm. Humperdinck composed the opera in 1891 and 1892, and it premiered on December 23, 1893 in Weimar. It has since been performed and reimagined by opera companies the world over.

Members of the Guelph Symphony Orchestra make classical music fun and approachable, and plant the seeds for a lifelong appreciation of music. Tickets for the Kinderconcerts are $14 for adults, and $11 for children. $5 eyeGO  are available for high school students with valid ID. Please note that everyone must have a ticket to enter the theatre, including children and infants. Each child must have adult accompaniment. Tickets are available at the River Run Centre box office at 519-763-3000, or online at riverrun.ca/hansel-and-gretel-humperdinck.

FOR INFORMATION

Ella Pauls | Manager of Cultural Development
Culture & Tourism| Community & Social Services
City of Guelph

519-822-1260 extension 2589
[email protected]

Scroll to Top