Three and a half stars
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; Marsh Symphony on the Prairie; July 2-5

Perfect weather July 3 embraced this fast-paced, guest-loaded holiday program of thoughtfully chosen patriotic music by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Morris Russell. Selections marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer-arranger Leroy Anderson and the 50th anniversary of the opening of West Side Story. Lincoln interpreter Dean Dorrell delivered the Gettysburg Address, reminding us that ours is a government “of, by and for the people” with rights and responsibilities. Period-specific maneuvers by the Indiana Sons of the American Revolution appeared with “The Patriot” and by the Civil War Era Color Guard-19th U.S. Infantry, 1st Battalion, Company A appeared with Randy Edelman’s “Suite from Gettysburg.” The 163rd Field Artillery Unit, Evansville, was on the mark with Tchaikovsky’s 1812, Overture solennelle, Op. 49. Ushering in an awesome 15-minute shower of fireworks to close a concert with an underlying mood of connecting with the war we’re still in “lest we forget that freedom is not free.”