REXBURG—The Rexburg Tabernacle Orchestra will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a concert Thursday featuring patriotic music and works inspired by Abraham Lincoln.
Director Mark Seare said the idea came from wanting the orchestra to participate in the anniversary celebration, even though it does not hold a summer concert around Independence Day. He also discussed the idea with the city, which supported the celebration.
The orchestra hoped to perform closer to Veterans Day, but scheduling around its musicians and performance locations led to the Nov. 5 date.
The program places a strong emphasis on Lincoln, whose writings Seare said connect the country’s founding principles to the present.
“We chose these pieces because the things Abraham Lincoln wrote really encapsulate the meaning of the Declaration of Independence today in our world,” Seare said.
Two major works will anchor the concert: Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait” and Michael Daugherty’s “Letters from Lincoln.” Paul Busselberg will serve as narrator for “Lincoln Portrait” and sing the solo in “Letters from Lincoln.”
Seare described Copland as an iconic American composer whose music has become closely associated with the country’s sound. “Lincoln Portrait” combines orchestral music with narration drawing from Lincoln’s writings, including the Gettysburg Address.
“The Gettysburg Address being prominent among them, in my opinion, one of the best speeches ever written,” Seare said. “As short as it is, it’s incredibly impactful and important.”
While the orchestra regularly performs works by composers such as Beethoven and Brahms, this program brings a specifically patriotic focus. Seare said the two major Lincoln works offer musical depth alongside their historical themes. Lighter selections will also express a love for the United States.
Beyond the music, Seare hopes audience members will reflect on the freedoms they enjoy and the responsibilities that accompany them. He said the celebration is intended to recognize the country’s founding principles, rather than support a political side.
He also hopes listeners carry those ideas beyond the performances through their choices and interactions with others.
“Well, the best way to celebrate it is to strive to live the principle it espouses,” Seare said.
For Seare, that means honoring liberty, respecting others and helping preserve the ideals expressed in the nation’s founding documents. The concert offers an opportunity to consider those responsibilities through music and Lincoln’s words.
The concert will be from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Rexburg Tabernacle at 51 N. Center St. in Rexburg. Admission is free. More information is available on the Rexburg Cultural Arts website.