West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South’s Philharmonia Symphony Orchestra is set to open the 150th anniversary celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
The orchestra, made up of 10th, 11th, and 12th grade musicians, is set to traveling to Gettysburg, Pa., Nov. 14 through 16 to present two concerts with music specific to the time period.
The first concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Grand Ballroom at at the Gettysburg Wyndham Marriott.
The second concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the historic Lutheran Seminary Chapel on Seminary Ridge. The chapel was a major setting during the battle.
The Seminary dates back to 1832, making the chapel the oldest Lutheran Church in the country. Adjacent to the chapel is the original dormitory, which boasts a cupola on its roof. General Buford, from the North, used the cupola to track the movements of the armies from the South. Later, the Confederates overtook the building and used the same cupola to observe the Northern armies.
The orchestra is set to perform Clare Grundman’s The Blue and the Gray, and Jerry Bilik’s American Civil War Fantasy. They will also play two songs that include narration; Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait features sections of Lincoln’s speeches and letters, and Andrew Gabczynski’s Lincoln at Gettysburg includes the entire address.
Narrating for this work will be Robert Peterson, the orchestra director from Grover Middle School. Peterson is an ancestor of Senator Edward Everett, who was the keynote speaker immediately preceding Lincoln’s address.
American Salute by Morton Gould, based on “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” Ashokan Farewell from the PBS Civil War Series, and Wilhousky’s Battle Hymn of the Republic will complete the concert.
The Philharmonia plans to donate the proceeds from the concerts to the Wounded Warriors Project, which supports wounded men and women of the armed forces.
Tickets for the events are $10.00 and can be purchased at the door or by contacting jean.mauro@ww-p.org.
