Bears, Larks and a Bull on the Roof: Orchestra of the Eastern Shore Unveils a Wild Autumn Concert

The Orchestra of the Eastern Shore plans to whisk audiences into the forest, the skies and even atop a rooftop this November with a lively fall program built around animals, imagination and musical mischief.

Under the direction of Music Director Amanda Gates, the ensemble will present a trio of iconic works: Haydn’s Symphony No. 82, fondly nicknamed “The Bear,” Ralph Vaughan Williams’ soaring The Lark Ascending, and Darius Milhaud’s playful Le Boeuf sur le toit (“The Bull on the Roof”). Violinist Kirsty Barnett Green appears as featured soloist, taking flight in Vaughan Williams’ beloved pastoral masterpiece.

The concert poster already sets the tone. A luminous bear stands in a misty green woodland, joined by an alert deer and two ascending larks racing toward the golden clouds overhead. The artwork, a photographic creation by Valerie Dunkle, hints at both the whimsy and wonder audiences can expect.

The orchestra will perform twice: Friday, November 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at Market Street Methodist Church in Onancock, and Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 4 p.m. at Hungars Episcopal Church in Bridgetown.

Admission is free, with donations warmly encouraged to support future seasons of music across the Shore. The program is made possible through the support of local partners, including United Way of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Town of Onancock.

Whether drawn by the charm of a dancing bear, the quiet grace of a lark or the gleeful antics of a rooftop bull, classical music fans have a chance to enjoy a spirited journey through the animal kingdom, delivered by the Shore’s own symphonic storytellers.

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Wayne Creed

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