Prairie spirit
Don Coldsmith, Syndicated Columnist
Monday, June 1, 2009
THIS COLUMN was written by a young woman who was raised on a ranch in the Flint Hills. It describes a concert, “Symphony on the Prairie,” held on Jane Koger’s Chase County ranch June 11, 1994. Musicians from several symphony orchestras, as far away as St. Louis were involved. Here is Dawn Gorges’ reaction:
HHH
Perhaps the finest interval of the Symphony on the Prairie was as the orchestra swelled with the strains of Aaron Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring.” For those few minutes, an indescribable peace settled over the hillside. Farmers and ranchers, clean shaven in white shirts and hats to match, blended silently with visitors from surrounding towns and states. During those precious minutes, all was still. No one moved. Even the children were quiet. The American flag flew on the hillside and two kites soared in the sky. As the sun emerged from the haze, reflecting off the thousands of faces in the crowd, the splendor of the community and its inhabitants was heightened by the music.
Many of those in the audience are prairie dwellers and the scene was a familiar one. In fact, the stunning vista was almost too familiar for some to appreciate. But even those who are so used to the beauty of their native land could not help but be moved by the glory of it all. The prairie is often subtle in its beauty, but on Saturday evening, it was lush, graced by hundreds of wildflowers, especially the purple wild alfalfa.
The music was fitting for the setting. The theme was all-American, highlighting American composer Aaron Copeland. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1945 for “Appalachian Spring.” His tune “Hoe Down” struck a familiar chord. It is the music used in the beef commercials. As the piece began, there was a ripple of recognition among the locals and then the crowd broke out in spontaneous clapping rhythm to the familiar theme. “America the Beautiful” and “Home on the Range” gave way to a full celebration of heritage.
Ranching and farming is grueling business and those who make a living at it tend to be a somber folk. Troubles are never far away. Yet for 90 minutes, cares were swept away with the music. Heavy creases in the tanned faces seemed to fade. That’s the beauty of music; it frees us from our troubles for just a little while. As natives, we are all too familiar with the sights and smells of the prairie. To those senses we can add the sound of the prairie, the strains for the orchestra filling the June evening with American music.
Generosity and hardiness are part of the prairie spirit and they were an integral part of the evening. Many visitors from outside our community honored us by wearing prairie skirts and straw hats. They were eager to talk about their awe of the beauty that is part of our everyday lives. We shared our spirit, allowing them to be a part of us for a few hours. And all of those visitors will take a little of our pioneer spirit home with them and they will become better people because of us. During the concert we were all sons and daughters of the prairie, joined under the wide Kansas sky.
There is a word, synergy, which means that the whole is more than the sum of its separate parts. Certainly that is true of the Symphony on the Prairie. The evening was more than the orchestra, more than the five horse-drawn covered wagons, more than the thousands of people roaming the hillsides, more than the striped tents and tour buses, more than the flags and kites, sun and wildflowers. The feeling that each person took away in her or his heart will grow in memories of the prairie spring concert, a wonderful tribute to the spirit of the citizens of the Flint Hills.
HHH
See you down the road.
Author and columnist Don Coldsmith lives in Emporia.
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