NEWS RELEASE
Date: November 1, 2017
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeana Varney
Phone: 417.864.6683
Cell: 417.349.0906
jeana@springfieldmosymphony.org
411 N. Sherman Parkway
Springfield, MO 65802
Springfield Symphony offers special discounted tickets for Veterans and military personnel
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Springfield Symphony is offering special $10 tickets for any seat in Hammons Hall to any Veteran, active duty or retired military personnel and a spouse/guest at its Salute to Veterans Pops concert on Saturday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. Special tickets can only be purchased in person or by phone at the Hammons Hall box office.
“Our Veterans Day concert this year is going to be a very moving and truly fascinating tribute to Missourians who volunteered and fought in World War I,” said Kyle Wiley Pickett, music director/conductor for the Springfield Symphony. “We will be playing popular music that was used to stir up support of the Great War like Over There, as well as patriotic songs and pieces that have been used in movies about war, including the always popular Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations and the moving Adagio by Albinoni.”
Pre-concert music will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall box office, and can be purchased by calling (417) 836-7678 or online at www.missouristatetix.com. Ticket prices range from $17 – $36 and discounts are available for students and seniors.
“In addition to our musical selections, we will have actors onstage who will read from letters and diaries of Missourians at the frontlines of the battles in World War I,” said Pickett. “Their words tell stories of love, longing, heroism, and horror, and really make the history of World War I come to life. These were real people, with lovers and families and fears and dreams, and the fact that we are able to enter their world, nearly one hundred years after they wrote these letters, is going to make for a pretty amazing evening of story-telling. As you would expect, many tell about the grueling trench warfare and the terror of poison gas, but there are also letters that are full of humor, enthusiasm for new adventure in Europe, and jealousies of lovers back at home. It’ll be a fascinating night in honor of veterans and volunteers and we are excited to bring these stories to the stage. These letters come from an amazing online archive called “Over There: Missouri and the Great War,” put together using over 30 collections of historical documents by the Springfield-Greene County Library. It’s an incredible resource.”
Join Pickett at a free monthly event, Behind the Baton, at Ocean Zen on Thursday, November 9 (4117 S National Ave) for the opportunity to meet Pickett and hear about the music that will be performed at the November 11 concert. The meet & greet begins at 5:00 p.m. and the program will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Pickett is available for any interviews or questions. Please feel free to email him at kwpickett@gmail.com or call at (417) 837-9422. The concert is being sponsored by Don Wessel Honda (Pops Series Presenter), Dee Wampler & Joesph Passanise, Attorneys at Law, Independent Printing, OzAir/Burgess Aircraft Management, Creekside and the Manor at Elfindale, Fox5/MeTV, and KWTO.
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and an Equal Opportunity Employer. Additional funding for all Springfield Symphony Orchestra programming is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. For more information, visit www.springfieldmosymphony.org or www.facebook.com/springfieldsymphony.
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