The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra provided a stellar concert at Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park in Wytheville on Saturday, September 13, with a beautiful backdrop of a made-to-order sunny evening. Continuing the celebration of the 250th birthday of our nation, which was honored earlier in the year during a concert at the Millwald Theatre, the Millwald hosted an outdoor concert at one of our town’s most beautiful parks. RSO’s “Symphony Under the Stars” was just as big a success as it was last year, opening with the national anthem.
The classical piece “The Light Cavalry Overture” by Franz von Suppé, featuring RSO’s new principal clarinetist Amy Hur, was followed by one of two John Williams pieces offered during the first half of the show. Music from one of my late father’s favorite films, Jurassic Park, was accompanied by assistant concertmaster Dr. John Hugo, dressed in an inflatable dinosaur costume. He mingled with some audience members, danced along, and even received his own baton from conductor David Stewart Wiley to help direct the piece.
Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim” from the opera Samson was next, featuring tenor vocalist Brian Thorsett. Having performed worldwide in live performances and recordings, the Blacksburg-based singer teaches in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, according to Wiley’s introduction. Thorsett also sang the most emotional piece of the evening, “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables. When Wiley introduced the song in the context of a tribute to the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, many audience members wept throughout the number.
Remaining in celebration of our nation’s milestone birthday, John Williams was given another nod with a medley from another of his iconic film scores. The Revolutionary War film starring Mel Gibson, The Patriot, featured Williams’ Oscar-nominated score, rendered in full glory by the RSO and capturing the true American spirit.
During the “Armed Forces Salute,” Thorsett, along with the Roanoke Symphony Chorus, sang the songs representing all branches of the United States military. As I did for their Flag Day concert, I proudly elevated my chair to “stand” in honor of my late father, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1962 to 1966. I noticed I was the only one who did so for the Coast Guard, and I was not about to let my father or his branch of service be forgotten.
The memorable Suite No. 1 from Carmen opened the second of two 40-minute acts, followed by a medley from Gone with the Wind by legendary film composer Max Steiner.
“This piece is written specifically for place,” Wiley said. “It encapsulates Scarlett O’Hara’s devotion to Terra and her determination to restore her home.”
Next came a medley from Howard Shore’s magnificent score from The Lord of the Rings films. Shore won Oscars for his work on two of the films. This medley featured battle music from the films, with heavy, anvil-like percussion in one particularly rugged section of the often-requested medley as performed by the RSO. A segment of “In Dreams,” featuring the RSO Chorus, was also included.
A riveting medley from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story delighted a group from the newly rebranded Red Stag Dinner Theatre in Wytheville, who performed the choreography in perfect synchronicity with the music. From the Latin rhythms of “Tonight” to “One Hand, One Heart,” featuring Concertmaster Akemi Takayama on lead violin, who had her very own fan club in the audience, the medley included a swing-jazz version of “Cool,” culminating with “America.”
The RSO once again restored my American pride with the patriotic numbers “America the Beautiful,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and “America the Beautiful,” before launching into the encore of John Williams’ Star Wars medley. Complete with his own lightsaber baton, Wiley did his best Yoda impersonation and ended the perfect evening on an incredibly high note.
You’ll have one more chance to hear the RSO ensemble, chorus, and featured vocalist Brian Thorsett as they present their holiday concert, “Handel’s Messiah,” on Saturday, December 19, at 7:00 p.m. at the Millwald Theatre. Tickets are available at https://ci.ovationtix.com/36798/production/1273229?performanceId=11799695 or by calling the Millwald box office at 276-284-2958.
