Star Spangled Symphony. Courtesy of ISO. Used with permission.
I have lost count of how many times I have watched the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra perform its annual “Star Spangled Symphony” concert at Conner Prairie in Noblesville. Yet, the experience remains as moving as ever. Wednesday’s performance, part of the three-day Fourth of July celebration, proved every bit as stirring and memorable. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, the concert carried an added sense of meaning and occasion.
Star Spangled Symphony. Courtesy of ISO. Used with permission.
Led by conductor Alfred Savia, the ISO offered a rousing program of patriotic favorites, joined by special guests including tenor Jim Cornelison, members of the Indianapolis Opera and several color guards commemorating the American Revolutionary and Civil wars. Dressed casually in white and khaki, the musicians brought ease to the outdoor setting without sacrificing an ounce of polish; their crisp playing and confident ensemble work showed the orchestra at its best. Huge LED screens flanked the stage, giving even those seated far back on the lawn an up-close view of the performance. The setting added to the celebration: Hundreds of concertgoers spread out on the lawn with picnics, dressed for the sweltering summer evening in a profusion of red, white and blue clothing and accessories that turned the grounds into a sea of patriotic color. From the music to the crowd’s energy, the performance felt less like a standard symphony program than a full-fledged Fourth of July gathering.
The set list moved confidently through a broad sweep of patriotic and historical Americana, opening with John Stafford Smith’s The Star-Spangled Banner, sung by Jim Cornelison, before turning to John Williams’ music from The Patriot. Violinist Kevin Lin brought virtuoso flair to Henri Vieuxtemps’ caprice burlesque on Yankee Doodle, while Jim Beckel’s I Am the American Flag featured Cornelison as narrator. The Indianapolis Opera Chorus added grandeur to William Steffe’s Battle Hymn of the Republic and later to Richard Hayman’s arrangement of Armed Forces Tribute. Randy Edelman’s suite from Gettysburg, with Dean Dorrell narrating excerpts including “The Gettysburg Address” and “Reunion and Finale,” gave the first half a reflective Civil War focus. After intermission, Cornelison returned for Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables, followed by Samuel A. Ward’s America the Beautiful in Carmen Dragon’s arrangement, and Irving Berlin’s God Bless America arranged by Roy Ringwald Healey.
The concert built to a stirring finale with Tchaikovsky’s thunderous 1812 Overture and a final burst of John Philip Sousa marches, including The Washington Post, Hail to the Spirit of Liberty and The Stars and Stripes Forever. A lavish fireworks display lit up the sky over the prairie, transforming the closing moments into a spectacle of sound, color and patriotic feeling. In Conner Prairie’s open, natural setting, the evening also offered a welcome form of escapism, lifting listeners away from the noise of daily life and into a shared celebration beneath the summer sky. Yet the finale offered more than pageantry. It carried a sense of hope and inspiration, a reminder that even in these days of political polarization, our shared history—heard through music—can still help unite us. Taken as a whole, the evening celebrated not only familiar musical traditions but also the grandeur, complexity and enduring promise of America’s historical legacy.
Tonight, July 4 is the final performance of “Star-Spangled Symphony” for tickets visit indiaapolisymphony.org
