Wed 7/2 @ 9PM
Loras John Schissel, who leads the Blossom Festival Band, gets his baton revved up for their Independence Day concerts at Blossom Music Center by leading the Cleveland Orchestra in a similar program for their annual Star Spangled Spectacular concert on Public Square. It’s now in its 25th year.
Come downtown early, not just to avoid traffic, but to enjoy the lead-in festivities and patronize the by-now-inevitable food trucks that will be there starting at 5pm.
Starting at 7pm, a giant screen will display videos made and submitted by Clevelanders of all stripes making music. The Orchestra will take the stage at 9pm to play a program of patriotic songs like The Star-Spangled Banner, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and Schissel’s Armed Forces Salute, his arrangements of tunes associated with the military.
And yes, of course the program will conclude with the 1812 Overture and fireworks, weather permitting.
It’s free, as usual. And if you really can’t make it down, it will be broadcast live on WCPN-FM 90.3 and WCLV-FM 104.9.
clevelandorchestra.com/Public-Square/