Big music for a small town
Photo by Mickey Dobo/Courtesy of Nashville Symphony
Fern Greenbank
Community Storyteller
To hear the Nashville Symphony play, you could hop on I-65 and
spend an hour in traffic, an hour finding a parking space, an hour getting out of the parking space and another hour driving home or, you
could mosey down the road, park on the Lewisburg Square and take
in the spectacular music in the comforts of the historic Dixie Theatre.
“We’re really hoping that people who have never heard a symphony or would never travel to Nashville to experience a full orchestra to come out and experience this kind of music,” said Faris Phillips, executive director of the Dixie Theatre. “It’s exciting to have this
caliber of music come here.”
Phillips said the symphony has played at the Dixie three times
in the past and each time it was a special night.
“I remember getting a phone call from a gentleman who asked
me to save two tickets at the door,” said Phillips. “When the man arrived, I realized it was the gentleman who washes my car and he was
dressed up in his finest with his wife also in her finest. You just never
know who has waited a lifetime to hear an orchestra.”
Phillips said without the sponsorship of Waste Management,
this rare night of music would not be possible. The ticket sales won’t
even make up for the cost of bringing the orchestra here.
“First we were asked if we could help sponsor the symphony
event,” said Richard Cheney with Waste Management. “But, when
we realized how unique this was and the kind of excitement it would
generate, we decided to sponsor the symphony visit entirely.
Cheney said Waste Management looks for programs to support,
like school activities and events that bring the community together
and the symphony event will surely do that, he said.
A few adjustments have to be made to accommodate the orchestra, said Phillips. Because of the number of musicians coming, the
theatre crew has to cover the orchestra pit securely to make room.
They have also had to create space behind the scenes for orchestra
members to prepare because they never leave their instruments in
one room and change or prepare in another.
The Nashville Symphony has an extensive outreach program
that offers everything from music camps to free concerts. Traveling
to rural areas is also part of their public involvement efforts.
In this case, the entire orchestra is not coming to Lewisburg,
but it’s still a giant mass of talent assembling here. You won’t feel like
you aren’t experiencing a true orchestra because there are musicians
from all music groups including strings, brass and percussion. Conductor Vinay Parameswaran will be leading the night’s performance.
And here is the evening’s play list: Overture to William Tell, Romeo and Juliet Overture and Peter and the Wolf, Opus 67.
Tickets can be purchased on the Dixie Theatre website thru
“ticketleap” starting May 1. You can also call Faris Phillips at (931)
703-6454 she she will hold tickets.
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