Meridian Symphony Orchestra: A local treasure

By By Susie Johnson / guest columnist
Nov. 9, 2003
Joel and I are sometimes asked why we "drag our children to the symphony" on Saturday evenings (past bedtime, no less). Let me explain that if anyone in our home is ever "dragging," it's Mommy!
Our children absolutely adore everything about the MSO from the educational preconcert lectures to the opportunity to expand their horizons just a little more each time they attend live performances of musicians who have different stories and different gifts but share a love of that universal language.
Of course, they enjoy some works better than others as we all do; however, they are never bored and love to discuss what they have observed and heard.
Are my children brighter or more sensitive than others? Of course not. They have simply discovered at an early age that our community has something unique for a town of any size a symphony orchestra.
Samuel Jones, our Music Alive composer-in-residence, calls it our "civic treasure." I like that description very much.
What a treasure, indeed, to have not only a full-sized orchestra but Conductor Claire Hillard who is dedicated to providing repertoire that consistently includes scope, variety and imagination. To top it off, the guest artists are always awe-inspiring, including those with us on a recent Saturday evening: renowned composer-conductor Samuel Jones and gifted young cellist, Patrice Jackson.
Powerful stage presence
Jackson may be young, but she obviously loves her instrument and she loves to perform, resulting in a powerful stage presence that her audience adored. Her rendition of Elgar's Violoncello Concerto in E minor brought the house to its feet with demands for an encore.
Patrice, a recent graduate of Yale University, played with an ease beyond her years. Part of her charm was found in her interaction with the orchestra itself. As she swayed with her cello, she would often nod or look directly at various musicians, seeming to acknowledge their particular passages or musical entrances.
Offstage, she proved to be just as personable and easy-going as she generously gave autographs and posed for photos.
Squeaking steel, steam engines, sucker rods … sucker rods? That's right. Remember, symphonic music can be very surprising, and Samuel Jones brought some wonderful surprises in his symphonic suite Roundings (written for the Amarillo Symphony but which Jones admits has compositional roots in his home state of Mississippi).
At the preconcert program, he explained that each movement reflected images of the development of life in "earlier times leading to what was then modern day rural America." He also shared some fascinating little notes about each movement that, well, you should have been there they're now our little secrets.
The prologue, entitled Hymn to the Earth was simply gorgeous with its lush chording. The cello, played beautifully by principal cellist Sasha Russakovsky, was then used to connect all but one of the following movements.
Music, imagery
As I closed my eyes and simply listened to the music, images and memories from my childhood washed over me. "Locomotive," was particularly moving since my family is a "train family" and Meridian itself owes so much to the railroad.
That unmistakable clanging bell brought vivid memories of my Grenada grandparents and our nightly trips to the "crossing" where we'd sit in the car and wait for that passenger train to pass through on its way to Memphis. The faint whistle would sound in the distance. We'd cover our ears as it screamed by, then listen intently as it traveled on into the night.
My own children loved to "go see the 11:00 train" here in Meridian, never tiring of the anticipation of hearing the whistle or being the first to see the engine headlights.
As the orchestra played these familiar sounds, there was that sudden screaming sound of metal on metal as a train comes to a halt. My husband looked at me in amazement, whispering, "How'd they do that?" I smiled and said smugly, "You should have been at the preconcert lecture; he told all kinds of secrets."
Samuel Jones spoke of Meridian's "civic treasure," but Mississippi is most certainly proud to claim Jones himself as its very own treasure. I had heard stories of the gifted young Sam Jones who went to Millsaps with my parents. After hearing Sam's music, I was convinced of the musical genius part, but how delightful to find that he is a warm and genuine person as well.
Many organizations, including student groups, were able to meet with him as he visited to share and teach. He will be back in February for the third subscription concert featuring his Chorale-Overture for Organ and Orchestra held at First Baptist Church. You will not want to miss it.
Susie Johnson is a Meridian
resident who teaches literature, public speaking and children's music for various groups. She and her
husband, Joel, are the parents of three children.