Symphony to host 34th annual July 4 concert

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This year, the Central Ohio Symphony will present its 34th annual Fourth of July concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4. Conductor Jaime Morales-Matos will direct the orchestra in Phillips Glen, located behind Gray Chapel on the Sandusky Street main campus of Ohio Wesleyan University, just one block south of downtown Delaware. This is one of the largest outdoor concerts by a Symphony in central Ohio. Delaware Area Career Center Superintendent Mary Beth Freeman will be the evening’s host.

“We are very pleased to have Mary Beth Freeman host our concert this year, given the enormous positive presence the career center brings to Delaware County students, especially on the eve of opening their impressive new campus this coming school year,” said Warren W. Hyer, executive director of the Symphony.

For the first-time ever, the Delaware Community Chorus, directed by Joshua Broadbeck, will join the orchestra onstage.

“We invited the chorus to sing with us this year to bring some additional interest to the program. They will sing the Peter Wilhousky arrangement of ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ which is the one made famous by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,” said Hyer. “In addition, they will sing the five service songs during ‘Armed Forces Salute,’ which we play each year in recognition of veterans and active service personnel.”

The chorus will also sing the choral part of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” which again will include theatre cannon blasts. “Our conductor, Jaime, is thrilled to be able to conduct the 1812 with a chorus,” added Hyer.

The orchestra will perform works that tie into the 50th anniversary of man landing on the moon and the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

“Our musicians and our board and staff always look forward to this event,” said Hyer. “This concert is our favorite way to thank the community for the strong support it has always given us.”

One of Ohio’s largest free orchestra performances, attendance in recent years numbered between 6,000 and 8,000. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a picnic and chairs or a blanket to enjoy the annual event, a Fourth of July tradition for many families.

Lawn seating is free. The Symphony also provides limited general admission chair seating in front of the stage for a fee. Tickets are available at the Symphony office, located at 24 E. Winter St. in downtown Delaware, as well as at the concert. Tickets may also be purchased online. The City of Delaware’s fireworks display will start immediately following the concert.

For more information on the concert, visit www.centralohiosymphony.org or call the Central Ohio Symphony office at (740) 362-1799.

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