Natural Showcase for Mississippi Symphony’s 75th Season
The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Crafton Beck are bringing us back for their 75th anniversary season. Their November 23 masterworks concert, titled “Natural Showcase,” combines two of our visual concertos celebrating the renowned vistas and culture of the American West. Our last collaboration with the MSO was back in 2013 for a special commemorative concert at the nearby Vicksburg Battlefield. With thousands in attendance for the outdoor concert, we presented The Eternal Struggle, which pays tribute to the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s legacy through Copland’s stirring Lincoln Portrait and 100s of archival images from that era.
For our concert this November, we’re shifting gears and presenting Canyonlands and Rodeo!. Choreographed to a unique compilation by four composers, Canyonlands showcases the rugged beauty of seven national parks in the desert southwest. Giant screen images from Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Zion come to life through the music of Bach, Fauré, Diamond and Elgar. Interestingly, Canyonlands premiered with Maestro Beck’s second orchestra, Ohio’s Lima Symphony Orchestra, a few years back as well. That concert marked our 5th collaboration with the LSO.
Stepping into the chutes next is Rodeo!, our performance piece that gets behind the scenes at a couple charming small town rodeos. Photographed on location in Arizona and Utah with a backdrop of sweeping western landscapes and ranching heritage, it’s a lively portrait of life in the American West set to Copland’s energetic and uplifting Rodeo suite. We’re looking forward to having the audience tapping their feet to this American classic.
Also on the concert program at downtown Jackson’s Thalia Mara Hall is Benjamin Britten’s evocative Four Sea Interludes and a contemporary work by Missy Mazzoli, River Rouge Transfiguration. We know it’s going to be a stunning evening of music and images, and we encourage all Jacksonians to join us to celebrate the 75th birthday of the largest performing arts organization in the state.
