BrightonMusic Orchestra, together with Bright’n Jazz band, will present the final concert of the season, “Music You Can’t Refuse”, on Sunday April 6th at 4p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 510 South 27th Avenue, Brighton.

The orchestra opens with the appealing little tone poem, “Bellingrath Gardens”, inspired by the elegant formal gardens outside Mobile, Alabama.  Next on the program is a rather complete medley of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Sound of Music”, including the title theme song plus “My Favorite Things”, “Do Re Mi”, “Edelweiss”, and “Climb Every Mountain”, among others.  The love theme from “Godfather” closes the first third of the one hour concert.

Bright’n Jazz takes over for the mid portion, playing familiar old favorites.  Vocalist Catherine Murphy performs Burt Bacharach’s “What the World Needs Now” and Motown’s Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier song “How Sweet It Is”.  The band then plays five instrumental numbers including “Grooving Easy” and the stirring “Malaguena” by Ernesto Lecuona.

The orchestra returns, with strings playing conductor Geoffrey Lehr’s “Fairy Tales”, featuring mellow first violins playing over a pizzicato background.  Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Symphonic Reflections” is a medley of songs from “Jesus Christ Superstar” plus “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from “Evita”, and “Memory” from Cats”.

“Twice Shy” is a jazzy piece for full orchestra by conductor Kat McCusker.  The concert closes with another show tune medley “Broadway Tonight”, including the songs “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”, “Soon It’s Gonna Rain”, “Try to Remember”, “That’s Entertainment”, and “People”.

Admission, as usual, is free.

Submitted by Bobbette Ranney