HOW TO GO
What: Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra in concert
When: Saturday, July 18, 7 p.m.
Where: Village Green Park, Wessel Drive, Fairfield
Cost: Free.
More info: www.Fairfield-City.org and www.hfso.org
FAIRFIELD –Movie and television themes will be the focus of a free concert performed by the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 18 at Village Green Amphitheater.
Paul John Stanbery, musical director and conductor, Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra, said he will share the podium with associate conductor Donzel Burkhart to present the “Music Stirs Memories” concert.
“The evening will revisit some great film and television music that people might remember from a bygone era, everything from Shaft to Star Trek: The Next Generation and James Bond 007,” Stanbery said.
He said one highlight of the evening will be the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of a Beatles medley, specifically because the orchestra turns 64 years old this year. The Beatles song “When I’m Sixty-Four” is part of the medley.
“We have one lady from Oxford, Lucy Herndon, who plays violin, who has been in the orchestra, if not all 64 years, certainly from the very earliest years of the orchestra, back in the 1950’s,” Stanbery said. “She also has two daughters playing in the orchestra, Lynn and Lynda. The people of Hamilton, Fairfield and Butler County should feel fortunate to have a musical icon right in their own backyard.”
He said the plan is to create an experience similar to sitting around watching television with the family. In the past, the piano was the entertainment center of the family. In the 20th Century, that was replaced by the radio in the 1930’s and 1940’s. In the 1950’s and 1960’s the radio was replaced by the television.
“We’re seeing a movement away from television, in that people are huddled around their computers or hand-held devices. We know that music will be part of the mix in the future, but we have no idea what that’s going to look or sound like,” Stanbery said. “This will be a chance to look back and to share some memories.”
He said the outdoor, summer concert in Fairfield has become an annual tradition for the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra.
“We are looking forward to having a wonderful time. We always enjoy playing at the Village Green Amphitheater. The crowd is always large and appreciative,” Stanbery said.
Another highlight of the evening will be the baton sharing with the Fairfield Rotary Club. With the baton sharing, guests have an opportunity to bid on who will conduct the orchestra.
“This year, a young man by the name of Jonathan Sander will be conducting ‘The Stars & Stripes Forever.’ He is off to college now, but he is one of my former youth orchestra kids,” Stanbery said.
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