WHRO is celebrating America at 250 this year, and ‘A Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection,’ joins in the commemoration this Wednesday evening at 9:00 on WHRO-FM. Host Raymond Jones brings together music that connects the nation’s past, present, and future through the musicians and institutions of the Commonwealth.
The evening begins in one of the most iconic spaces of Colonial Williamsburg: the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern. From there, we’ll hear “Nottingham Ale,” by the Performers of the Apollo Room, a lively glimpse into the sound of 18th-century Virginia, when Williamsburg was the political and cultural heart of the colonies. It’s easy to imagine the Founding Fathers themselves gathered around these very tunes.
From early America, we move into the 20th century with a suite from Aaron Copland’s film score “The Red Pony,” performed by the United States Navy Band under the direction of Brian Walden.
Internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble VOCES8 also appears this week with Vaughan Williams' “The Lark Ascending,” with violinist Jack Liebeck and conducted by Barnaby Smith. The Grammy-nominated a capella group recently performed throughout Hampton Roads as part of the Virginia Arts Festival in the days leading up to Christmas.
The spotlight then turns to Charlottesville with two performances by organist Bruce Stevens: Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck’s “Variations on Unter der Linden Grüne,” and Mendelssohn’s Organ Sonata No. 1. And from Richmond-born composer Mary Howe, we’ll hear her orchestral work “Stars,” performed by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra under the baton of JoAnn Falletta.
From colonial taverns to symphony halls, this week’s “A Local Touch” traces America’s musical journey through Virginia’s musicians, ensembles, and historic places. Join the tavern crowd and much more this Wednesday evening at 9:00 on WHRO-FM 90.3, and also online through our Media Player or your smart device.
To learn more about America’s revolutionary era — including the music, people, and places that shaped history in Eastern Virginia — visit whro.org/USA250.
