This Saturday, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra will perform a blend of patriotic, classical, and choral works, alongside a photo tribute to veterans, for their "American Veteran" concert. It's set for 7:30 pm on Saturday, Nov 2 in W.K. Kellogg Auditorium.
In a conversation with Cara Lieurance, conductor Anne Harrigan shared her excitement for the upcoming performance. “We have eight choirs joining us for this event, making for about 170 singers,” she said. "We've spent the summer getting everyone on the same page, and I can’t wait to see all of their smiling faces on stage."
The program, Harrigan explained, will open with George Gershwin’s rousing Strike Up the Band, and will also feature the lesser-known In Memoriam: The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy by William Grant Still. Composed in the 1940s, it commemorates Black soldiers who served in World War I. “You can hear gospel, folk songs, and the sound of taps in the trumpet,” Harrigan explained. “It’s a haunting, beautiful piece, and I think it’s perfectly suited for the American Veteran Concert.”
Aaron Copland’s suite from The Tender Land is another concert highlight. This opera piece, with its themes of family and rural life, resonates with Harrigan’s own family history. “My parents were tenant farmers, and I’m first-generation off the farm,” she shared. The Tender Land evokes “the simplicity and pride in hard work,” reminding her of stories shared by her father, who, at 92, still recalls the importance of the harvest and gathering with loved ones.
During the group's performance of the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, "Eroica," images of veterans from the local community will be projected above the orchestra. Saginaw-born artist Patrick Roberson was the photographer. “We ended up photographing almost 100 veterans,” Harrigan said. “Some brought their boots from the Gulf War, others brought photos of loved ones. It’s going to be incredibly moving.”
Tickets are available at the Battle Creek Symphony website.
