Chamber Orchestra turns initials of Club Q victims into musical notes to commemorate the lost
Bradley Davis
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Chamber Orchestra of Colorado Springs is performing two world premieres Saturday and Sunday at the Ent Center for the Arts, including a piece dedicated to the memory of those killed in the Club Q nightclub shooting in 2022.
The piece, called “Somewhere Bluebirds Fly,” originally premiered at the Library of Congress last summer as a flute choir piece. The opening melody is composed entirely of notes reflecting the first initial of each victim: A for Ashley Paugh, C for Kelly Loving, G for Raymond Green Vance, and D for both Daniel Aston and Derrick Rump.
We really wanted to talk about how music has this really phenomenal power to turn pain into beauty,” said Chamber Executive Director Jacob Pope. Even though the concert this weekend has so many somber stories and is sourced in so much pain, every single piece ends on a hopeful note.”
Inspired by the melody of “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” composer Erin Spencer adapted the piece for a full orchestra set. The Chamber Orchestra of Colorado Springs picked the piece for its weekend concert, “The Human Equation,” and will be the first to perform it for a live audience.
The orchestra performs Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. A soloist will also perform an Electric Cello Concerto. Tickets at the Ent Center range from $17.50 to $40.50.