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Symphony offers free concert at Ritter Park

September 17, 2009 @ 12:00 AM

HUNTINGTON -- The Huntington Symphony Orchestra's Picnic With the Pops season is now finished and the Symphony is thanking the community for a record year, with a performance in the park.

A special Pops In the Park celebration, a free concert is slated for 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at Ritter Park.

Hogan Haas, who has helped steer the nearly 50-member orchestra conducted by Kimo Furumoto to a record-breaking Pops season, said this is a way to give back to the community.

"We want to give back to the community, and we want to help the park board in having this celebration of Ritter Park," Haas said. "Eventually we want a three-day festival, but we're starting out slow and just want to show our appreciation of what a great place Ritter Park is for the city. We thought a concert on a Sunday afternoon would be a perfect way for the whole town to enjoy it."

The Symphony, whose Pops shows take place at Harris Riverfront Park and regular season shows take place at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center, will have a 40-foot-by-50-foot stage trucked into Ritter Park at 8th Street and will have food vendors, as well as some chairs for folks needing a seat.

Haas said they're encouraging folks to come out and spend the afternoon at the park picnicking and enjoying the music. The selections will include the theme from the Warner Bros' movie "We Are Marshall," "America The Beautiful," the theme from "Mary Poppins," a Pops hoedown and the Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie-penned song, "We Are the World," during which the symphony will be accompanied by the Ironton High School Varsity Singers.

Like any symphony production, the Ritter Park show will cost thousands of dollars to put on, so the Symphony is looking for some sponsors to help defray the costs.

For more information, go online at www.huntingtonsymphony.org, call 304-781-8343 or stop by the new Symphony office at 763 3rd Ave., in downtown Huntington.