“The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1943, in the depths of World War II,” writes Melynda Wilcox, a vice president of the orchestra’s board of trustees, in Monday’s (8/6) Connection (Alexandria, Virginia). “The occasion of its 75th anniversary gives the ASO, and its new Music Director Jim Ross, an opportunity to look back at what our city was like when the orchestra was formed…. On the national front, the mood was tense…. [Alexandria] residents registered for ration coupons at neighborhood schools.… But despite the difficult circumstances, Alexandrians 75 years ago found ways to support each other…. And a young music teacher at George Washington High School, Miss Lucie Neale Landen, recruited 40 amateur musicians to play orchestral music together and to share that joy with their neighbors. More than any other period in history—thanks in part to the radio age—music composed and performed during WWII was used to boost morale … Many of the issues that confronted Alexandrians in 1943 resonate today … Just as it has throughout history, music continues to serve as a universal language that binds people and communities together. The act of listening to live music together in a public space … deepens that connection.”
Posted August 10, 2018
