Music from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair will highlight the second concert of Clinton Symphony Orchestra’s 72nd season. The concert will be performed at 7:30 Saturday evening, November 8th in Centennial Auditorium at Sterling High School.
Conductor Silas Nathanial Huff has chosen the Fair’s theme song, “A Century of Progress,” written by John Philip Sousa to open the program, followed by a rhapsodic dance, “The Bamboula”, by famed composer of that era, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. “Duke” Ellington, who was building his reputation and appeared at the Fair, will be represented by four of his famous tunes, and the Chicago Symphony performed the first symphony written by an African-American woman, Florence Price.
“The music that attendees would have heard there illustrate a historic period marked by resilience, innovation, and the continual pursuit of progress, leaving lasting legacies that continue to inspire today,” Maestro Huff said.
The 1933 Chicago World’s Fair was a tremendous success. For five and a half months, the landmark event celebrated technological innovation, cultural exchange, and optimism during the Great Depression era, and millions of visitors from around the world came to experience advancements in science, industry, design, and artistic expression.
Two local grants have assisted in making this annual concert in Sterling possible. Community State Bank has joined with the Symphony to charter a bus for concertgoers from Clinton, through Fulton and Morrison to the concert. Information and reservations for the bus can be made by calling 563-503-4886.
In addition, a generous grant from CGH Medical Center has covered the costs of performance rights and materials for the Florence Price symphony.
Clinton Symphony Orchestra serves a wide are of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois, drawing professional musicians from that area, and is supported by contributions for many businesses, foundations, and individuals in the area. It has been in continuous operation for 72-years.
Full information of the concert, including program notes written by symphony musician Karin Anderson-Sweet, is available on the Symphony’s website at www.clintonsymphony.org.