THEY PLAY IT THEIR WAY IN THE HAYDN ORCHESTRA

Musicians who don’t get to play everything they want in a particular orchestra can do one of two things: They can mumble complaints, which isn’t good for morale or job security; or they can take more direct action and form their own group.

The latter approach explains the origin of the Haydn Orchestra, a chamber-sized ensemble that will play at 8 tonight as part of the 13th annual Seal Beach Chamber Music Festival.

The Haydn Orchestra “gives us a chance to get away from what we’re usually doing, playing commercial music in studios or being a small part of a very large organization such as the Long Beach Symphony or the Los Angeles Philharmonic,” founding conductor Alan Parker said.

“We can make music on our own, as we want to do it.”

Tonight’s program will include Debussy’s “Danses Sacree et Profane,” with harpist Lou Anne Neill; Bach’s Violin Concerto in E, with soloist Lawrence Sonderling; the Suite from Purcell’s “The Married Beau,” and Mozart’s Divertimento in F, K. 136.

As with all programs in the series, the concert--at the Church of Religious Science, 500 Marina Drive in Seal Beach--is free to the public.

The 11-member Haydn Orchestra was founded in the mid-1970s when Parker, a cellist, and other members of a string quartet wanted to expand their repertory to include works for larger ensembles. Coincidentally, they received an invitation from the Society for 18th-Century Studies to play at their convention at UC San Diego in 1974.

“The project kind of grew from there,” said Parker, 40.

The group is made up of three first violins, three second violins, two violas, two cellos and one string bass.

“With two players on a part, you don’t get a good blend,” Parker said. “With three, you do.” When necessary, however, the ensemble adds woodwinds or horns.

If the word “orchestra” seems too grand to apply to the group, Parker responded:

“I don’t know, what else would you call us? We’re about the same size as I Musici . . . . And that pretty much fits the repertory that we’re playing.”

Parker noted that the group is “basically a pick-up group” that is active “basically only in the summer.

“We try to get the same players each time, but the music scene in California being what it is, they’re doing other things as well,” Parker said.

According to the conductor, the Haydn Orchestra is actually the name of the nonprofit corporation that produces the annual Seal Beach Chamber Music Festival.

“At first, the festival was done on a very informal basis,” Parker said. “Then we decided it would be desirable to incorporate and formalize our operational structure.

“The orchestra (also) was basically a student and volunteer group. At that time, (in 1974) we were doing a number of concerts in the winter, too.

“But the transition to professional players is one reason the frequency of our performances has gone down. That costs a lot of money. Plus, everyone got so busy, we didn’t have time to meet and rehearse and put on a concert every couple of months.

“So the operation has basically evolved into a summer festival.”

The budget for the 10 events in the festival is about $10,000, Parker said. An 11th program by the Young Artists’ Guild scheduled for Aug. 19 is funded by the Music Teachers of California.

“We survive on donations from generous and loyal patrons,” Parker said. “They give us enough money to keep (the festival) going.”