The Wild, Wild, West

Sunday, October 28, 2018
4:00 PM | Bill Heard Theatre

FREE Kids' Activities | 3:00 PM
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Copland | Four Dance Episodes from "Rodeo"

E. Bernstein | True Grit Suite (from the 1969 film with John Wayne)

Copland | Billy the Kid Suite

Co-produced by the Columbus Public Library, this concert let’s you, your children, and your grandchildren experience life in the old West as expressed through music in concert. There’s life on a ranch, what it feels like to be Billy the Kid, and the grittiest grit of “True Grit”. The afternoon includes pre-concert activities and general fun for the whole family!
 
John Wayne won his only Academy Award for his portrayal of aging U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, a successful Western of the late 1960s. Hollywood veteran Elmer Bernstein composed the film's score, including it's title song performed by Glen Campbell (country-pop singer and tv host). Bernstein was familiar with the style Campbell was accustomed to singing, and as usual, turned in something spectacular even given the challenge of inserting a nearly unsingable word like "grit" into a lyric. The result was a Top Ten country and Top 40 pop hit as well as an Oscar nomination for best song!

Looking for music to put a SMILE on your face? Aaron Copland’s Four Dance Episodes from his ballet Rodeo will do the trick! Composed in 1942, Rodeo is the second of Copland’s ‘cowboy ballets’; the first was Billy the Kid. Copland recognised there was a shift in listeners which had grown up around the popularity of public radio and recordings. He wanted to embrace this new audience by moving away from the atonal works he’d composed at the start of the 1930s, towards a simpler but more engaging style. Even though this change of musical style was immediately successful, Copland wasn’t entirely convinced about writing a second cowboy ballet when asked to. He was convinced with the idea of a simple love story set against the backdrop of American ranch life – what was called ‘The Taming of the Shrew – with cowboys!’

A Salute to America's Veterans

Sunday, November 11, 2018
3:00 PM | Bill Heard Theatre

Veterans Day Reception | 2:00 PM
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Patriotic music of all kinds will be dedicated to honoring the service of all of those who have given so much in service to our country. Military veterans, active duty, and their family members will receive complementary tickets to the event as we celebrate them and the sacrifice they and their families make for our nation. Ticket holders will be invited to a reception in the lobby prior to the concert to kick off our afternoon of Saluting America's Veterans.

Fire & Rain

A Symphonic Evening of Folk Rock Classics
Featuring Swearingen & Kelli
Thursday, February 14, 2019
7:30 PM | Bill Heard Theatre

Valentine's Dinner | 6:00 PM (Additional Ticket Required)
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It’s a walk down memory lane featuring a healthy dose of folk rock classics. Fire & Rain is a new symphonic pops concert featuring the authentic and powerful vocals of singer-songwriting duo Swearingen & Kelli. The show is beautifully orchestrated and highlights some of the greatest songs from that era including music from Fleetwood Mac, Cat Stevens, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, James Taylor, Neil Diamond and more...This is the greatest popular music ever!

Swearingen and Kelli is comprised of singer-songwriters AJ Swearingen and Jayne Kelli. The Florida-based husband and wife duo is steeped in the sounds of Americana and country-folk with rich harmonies and character voices that are a modern echo of the singer-songwriters of the ’60s and '70s. Enjoy this concert on Valentine's Day as we celebrate the era of peace, love, and harmony!