The ninth season of Allegro, the Chamber Orchestra of Lancaster, might be seen as something of a parent-child reunion.

The concert is set for Saturday at Franklin & Marshall College's Barshinger Center.

Allegro conductor Brian Norcross will be among those out to demonstrate that musical talent runs in the family. His daughter, Molly, a graduate student at Juilliard, will be performing in Allegro's horn section as dad conducts.

Then there is cellist Beth Lavender, whose 18-year-old son Nathan will be joining her in the cello section. Nathan is graduating from high school and just finished his first season performing with Allegretto, the Youth Chamber Orchestra, which is a new venture for Allegro.

Violinist Venona Detrick is another musician demonstrating that striking the right strings comes naturally in some families. Her son Ben, a music graduate student, will be performing in the first violin section.

For Catherine Baker, who will be a junior at Lampeter-Strasburg High School in the fall, performing in Allegro is a dream come true. Back when she was a middle school student, her family took her to an Allegro concert. She was so inspired that she told her parents that her goal was to play with Allegro.

A first-season member of Allegretto, she was accepted into the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Orchestra this year.

"I was very pleased when our string personnel manager recommended her for one of the violin positions for this concert," Norcross says. "She is thrilled."

As Norcross notes, "The music is filled with joy, which is clearly seen in the enthusiasm of the players."

He knows first-hand that the combination of inherited talents and an environment of music often fosters offspring who take after mom or dad.

That joy may translate into an enthusiasm for the world's finest composers, such as Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and Haydn. And as the name Allegro indicates, the music performed by the chamber orchestra is "cheerful and brisk."

"One of the pieces we will be doing is known as 'Lucky Seven' or Beethoven's Symphony No. 7," Norcross says, adding that the popular composition is well-known for its energized rhythms, catchy melodies and powerful crescendos.

There is even a parent-child connection between the other two composers on the program. Orchestral Suite No. 2 is one of four suites by the famed master Johann Sebastian Bach, featuring flute with strings, while Symphony Op. 18, No. 3 is a work composed by his youngest son, Johann Christian Bach.

Saturday's concert marks the opening of Allegro's ninth season, with upcoming concerts on the second Saturday of each summer month. In July, the concert will be "Two for One" with double concertos by Vivaldi, Haydn, Bach and Schubert. In August, the concert will feature the music of Hummel, Handel, Boccherini and von Weber.

"Allegro is designed to break down the barriers between the audience and the performers," Norcross says, adding that the players are dressed casually in Allegro polo shirts and freely mingle with the audience before concerts, during intermission and after concerts.

It's classical music that is accessible to all generations, from mothers and fathers to sons and daughters.

Allegro The Chamber Orchestra of Lancaster

Sat. 2 and 7:30 p.m.

 $18 adults, $15 seniors and students

free for children 5-16

Barshinger Center, F&M College

560-7317
www.allegrochamberorchestra...