JUNE 27 EVENT AT THE REDLANDS BOWLl

Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival opens with symphony concert

The Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival roles out the red carpet for America’s music and heroes as it opens its 80th summer series of free outstanding musical programs. Known as America’s Tenor, New York City Policeman Daniel Rodriquez will be the featured guest at the symphony concert titled “American Salute.”

Maestro Frank Fetta, Artistic Advisor for the Summer Festival Symphony Orchestra, will conduct members of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra in a concert to pay tribute to the memory of 9/11, and to honor the emergency personnel—firemen, police, Sheriffs, military, and others—who serve us.

“I wanted to blend the traditional music we usually feature at this opening concert,” explained Fetta, “and offer some new music to salute those people who make our lives so much safer.”

The program begins at 7:45 p.m. with a Celebration of our Nation’s Heroes. According to Program Chairman Marsha Gebara, the Redlands Community Music Association will make several special presentations to representatives of the Redlands Police Department, the Fire Department, the Sheriff’s department, and the military.

“You can never say thank you enough to our heroes,” Gebara explained.

Tenor Daniel Rodriquez gained fame during the months following 9/11 as he was featured singing the National Anthem and “God Bless America” at many of the sad occasions. Since then, he has taken leave from the New York City Police Department to commit to a full-time singing career. He has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, numerous World Series games, the 2002 Winter Olympics, the White House for President Bush, the PBS Memorial Day concert in Washington D.C., and for Disneyland’s 47th birthday. For this concert, Rodriguez will sing “Shenandoah”, “Danny Boy”, “Granada”, and “America the Beautiful”, and several other selections.
Working with Rodriguez for the first time, Fetta has selected music that helps tell the American story. To emphasize the New York connection, the orchestra will play the Overture to Bernstein’s “West Side Story”, and the Old Timers Waltz Medley which ends with “The Sidewalks of New York”. They also will play the Suite to “South Pacific” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. “This was written as a very critical time for the United States,” Fetta says, “and it is one of the most popular musicals of all time.”

In Redlands Bowl tradition, the concert will end with the “1812 Ceremonial Overture” by Tchaikovsky. Fetta also guaranteed plenty of Sousa marches. “It will all be there,” he promised.

All events of the Redlands Summer Music Festival are presented without an admission charge, with a free-will offering collected at intermission.

The Redlands Bowl is located at 25 Grant Street in Redlands between Grant and Eureka Streets, just south of Brookside Avenue. For directions and more information, contact the office at 909/793-7316 or view the website at www.redlandsbowl.org.