The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music will present “Made in America,” a concert of American music, on Tuesday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Immersive Media Performing Arts Center (iMPAC) in Gulfport, Miss. The event will feature voices of the Hattiesburg Choral Union, Southern Miss Gulf Coast Civic Chorale and choirs from the Harrison County and Jackson County campuses of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, alongside the famed Southern Miss Symphony Orchestra.
An exciting evening of music is planned for the coast’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Musical selections will include Randal Thompson’s “Frostiana,” which highlights the poetry of Robert Frost, and Aaron Copland’s mighty third and final symphony, often referred to as the essential American symphony, which will close the program. A prominent feature of Copland’s symphony is “Fanfare for the Common Man,” a musical celebration fitting for this momentous anniversary.
Thompson was commissioned to compose a work to commemorate the bicentennial of Amherst, Mass., in 1959. Robert Frost had lived there for several years, and the two were friends. “Frostiana” is the product of the collaboration between Frost’s poetry and Thompson’s musical genius. Thompson, noted for his choral works, taught at both Harvard University and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he mentored many well-known musicians, including Leonard Bernstein.
Copland’s symphonic legacy was secured with the third symphony. In the 1940s, American composers were searching for “The Great American Symphony,” and Copland’s four-movement work filled the bill. Composed for Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the jubilant full orchestral forces were a celebration of the end of World War II.
Tickets are available online, at the Southern Miss Ticket Office, or by calling 800.844.8425.