Watertown's annual Independence Day concert in Thompson Park is all about America this year.
The concert, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Friday, will feature a mix of songs and patriotic melodies with the underlying theme of America. It will be performed by the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Daniel C. Hege, the music director and principal conductor of the SSO.
"I like to have variety within an ongoing thread that keeps everything connected," said Mr. Hege. He said the concert's overarching theme is not just patriotic music but also "anything that has to do with American vernacular or American folk tunes, including songs that were used during either the Civil War or songs that were popularized during other wartimes — anything that would have to do with defending the country or making the country safe and free."
Included in this broad category are Aaron Copland's "Variations on a Shaker Tune" and James Beckel's "Gardens of Stone," a musical tribute to military men and women who have lost their lives while serving their country.
The orchestra will open its second act with Leonard Bernstein's upbeat, tongue-in-cheek overture from "Candide," an operetta based on Voltaire's satirical novel of the same name.
The concert also will feature Malcolm Alford's arrangement of "Colonel Bogey March," a well-known tune from the 1957 movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai." Mr. Hege described the piece as uplifting and optimistic and looks forward to audience involvement in the form of whistling and clapping.
"It's nice just to acknowledge that American music is really a pretty broad term," he said. "Within the genre of American music you could say there is patriotic music, film music, music for Broadway musicals and very serious music — that is, in the classical category. I think it's useful for people to hear something that is truly 'Americana,' not just patriotic."
That said, Friday's concert will feature its fair share of patriotic tunes. Included in the program are "O Canada," Calvin Custer's arrangement of "The Star Spangled Banner," John Philip Sousa's "Semper Fidelis" and "Washington Post March," Bruce Healey's "God Bless America," Calvin Custer's "Americana Medley," Morton Gould's "American Salute" and Richard Hayman's "Sing Out America."
One of Mr. Hege's personal Independence Day favorites, Bob Lowden's "Armed Forces Medley," will honor the various branches of the American military as it has in years past.
"The Armed Forces medley is very ennobling to listen to, to play, to conduct," said Mr. Hege, explaining that he includes the piece in the first half of the program so there is enough daylight to see the military members being honored. "It's very uplifting and touching to see the people who have helped make America what it is."
With the exception of last summer, when a shoulder surgery prevented him from conducting, Mr. Hege has directed the Independence Day concert in Thompson Park since 2000, the year he joined the SSO. He said he enjoys many aspects of the evening, from the precision of the cannons in Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" to the overall reception of the crowd.
"Certainly in Watertown we have felt an overwhelming warmth and support throughout the years," the conductor said. "I think there is certainly something special about the Watertown concert."
As in years past, the concert will conclude with a performance of the "1812 Overture" — complete with cannons fired by Fort Drum's 4-25 Field Artillery Unit — and a rendition of Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever."
The SSO's program will be preceded at 5:45 by a performance by Fred and the Eds and at 7 by a "yellow ribbon ceremony." Fireworks will follow the concert at dusk, and the Fort Drum Colorguard will attend.
Thanks in part to sponsorship by Hampton Inn, Watertown Savings Bank, National Grid, Benefit Services Group and Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield, admission to the concert in the park is free. In the event of inclement weather, the program will take place at 8 p.m. Monday in Thompson Park.
For more information regarding the concert in the park or the orchestra's Sounds of Summer series, contact the SSO's box office at 424-8200 or toll-free at (800) 742-8310 or visit www.syracusesymphony.org.
