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West Virginia Symphony wows crowd at Elkins stop

ELKINS – The sounds of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra filled Harper-McNeeley Auditorium on the campus of Davis & Elkins College Sunday as attendees start to ‘celebrate’ the 80th Mountain State Forest Festival. This is the first time the Symphony has performed during the Festival for about five years, and Elkins resident Jean Snedegar said she was thrilled to have the orchestra back performing in Elkins.

“I love classical music, and I listen to it a lot on West Virginia Public Broadcasting,” Snedegar said. “It’s a privilege to have the West Virginia Symphony here. The cellist, Kimberly Graham, played in the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church this morning during our service.”

Snedegar said she is excited about all of the upcoming Mountain State Forest Festival events.

“My sisters are coming for the Festival. They were both in Festivals and are Forest Festival enthusiasts. Suzanne Snedegar was a Maid of Honor and Barbara Burnside was a Flower Girl. We will be going to the Coronation, the parades and all of the exhibits,” she said.

This performance was part of the West Virginia Symphony Fall Tour and Conductor Grant Cooper led the group in four pieces including “Appalachian Autumn,” “A Song of Longing, Though” featuring soprano Janet Brown, “Pelleas et Melisande Op. 80” and “Dances of Galanta.”

Cooper said the pieces had one unifying factor.

“They feature the idea of folk music,” Cooper said. “It tells us stories, and those stories are passed down through generations by the words and music.”

Cooper said he put the first piece, “Appalachian Autumn,” together a few years ago.

“It is based some of my experiences here in Appalachia,” he said. “It uses some folk tunes and some tunes that suggest our folk heritage such as ‘Scotch Irish heritage.’ I had one goal in mind in writing this piece of music for you. That is, once you heard it, you would be proud to be a West Virginian.”

MSFF Director General Scott Goddard welcomed those gathered for Sunday’s performance.

“I am so very happy to have the West Virginia Symphony back on the Mountain State Forest Festival schedule,” Goddard said. “It’s been a great event over the years, and it’s nice to provide a diversity of events. There truly is something for everyone on the Forest Festival schedule and the Symphony is another lead-up event that is setting the stage for what is to come.”

MSFF Assistant Director Michelle Pratt said the West Virginia Symphony is in Elkins as part of their Fall Tour.

“There are lots of folks in attendance at today’s performance,” Pratt said. “We hope everyone enjoys the event. There was lots of community support of the Symphony and we are pleased to be presenting this performance.”

Major support for the MSFF performance of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra was provided by the Snowshoe Foundation and The Randolph County Community Arts Center. The venue was sponsored by Davis & Elkins College and the reception following Sunday’s performance was sponsored by Joni and Buck Smith.

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