Forty-five minutes before the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s annual patriotic SALUTE! concert, Artistic Director David Bowden lightheartedly added an impromptu number to the evening’s musical program — a fitting Beatles’ classic.
Just as the clouds majestically broke over him on the lawn of the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans on Friday night, he broke into song.
“Here comes the sun,” he crooned amid a gathering crowd around him. “Doo doo doo doo. Here comes the sun. Doo doo doo doo. And I say — it’s all right.”
It was indeed. On a day marked by dark skies and thunderstorms, the city’s professional orchestra, like a good soldier, stayed focused on its Memorial Day weekend mission — honoring those who have served and also those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Its leaders announced Friday morning amid dismal forecasts that the show would go on even in rain unless there was lightning.
“Originally, everything was going to be wonderful,” Bowden said, clad in a stars-and-stripes polo shirt as the orchestra warmed up behind him with the military fight songs. “Then we had those silly pop-up showers.”
What followed at the concert was a show showering veterans with gratitude from a crowd that seem to fall slightly shy of organizers’ 1,000-person limit because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Loran and Rosemary Hoffmeier of Lawrenceburg have driven 90 minutes to Columbus most of the last seven years for the event that wows them. The former master sergeant served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1979 in hardware maintenance that included missile systems.
“We just love the music here “ he said, adding that he appreciated organizers’ determination to hold the event in less-than-ideal circumstances.
That included 54-degree temperatures and a brisk wind that had many in the crowd bundled in everything from rain jackets and hoods to light coats. The less-than-deal circumstances also included the absence of howitzers that usually park along Second Street to forcefully punctuate the Philharmonic’s closing “1812 Overture.”
Retired Gen. Mark Pillar, the military master of ceremonies, reported in opening remarks that the unit set to provide the popular cannons had experienced an accident last week.
“We will tell them they were missed,” Pillar said.
Yet, the concert featured one dramatic addition. Columbus resident Jim Oglivie flew a Huey helicopter for two passes over the crowd just as the event got underway.
Attendees such as U.S. Navy veteran Bill and Angie Stahl gave little thought to staying home — even when a storm brought heavy rain a couple hours beforehand.
“I’m just a little bit patriotic,” the ex-serviceman said. “So I like the whole thing — the music and entire effort it takes to put this whole thing on.”
Patriotism stood front and center even before the event began as celebrated vocalist Marietta Simpson of Indiana University warmed up with a flag-waving version of “America the Beautiful.” As she sang, dogs on leashes frolicked in the grass while attendees staked out spots near the edge of Second Street.
Attendees such as Clint Imel thought of his U.S. Navy dad who served in World War II, mostly amid a ship in the Sea of Japan, where he set mines. And Imel also remembered an uncle lost his life in World War II. So he was glad to see a crowd willing to remember, too.
“And also,” he said, “it’s good just to finally to get out again.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”For more photos” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
For additional photos, go to therepublic.com.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
