COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • JULY 25, 2018 • A10
Eugene Symphony returns for
free performance at Bohemia Park
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Story & photos By Zach Silva
zsilva@cgsentinel.com
W
hat looked to
be a day the
temperature hit
triple digits turned into an
evening in the 80s, or more
simply put: symphony
weather.
“It’s not as hot as I thought
it would be, but I am hot
now,” said Eugene Sympho-
ny Conductor Francesco
Lecce-Chong after the first
song was played at Bohe-
mia Park. For the fourth
year in a row, the Eugene
Symphony travelled south
to Cottage Grove to play a
free concert in the park to
an audience of over 2,000
people.
“Our name may have
Eugene in it but we really
see our service area as in-
cluding at least four coun-
ties and we’re always look-
ing for ways to deliver our
mission of enriching lives
through the power of music
in every one of them,” said
Eugene Symphony execu-
tive director Scott Freck last
week. “And Cottage Grove
is such a warm community
and the orchestra has really
loved playing for everybody
down there the last three
years and I know they’re ex-
cited to get back and play at
Bohemia Park.”
The evening began with
the symphony’s version of
a petting zoo where kids,
and adults alike, got an up-
close look at the musician’s
instruments. The perfor-
mances then started with
the Cottage Grove com-
munity band led by Gabe
Dickinson and Joanna
Newton.
After a brief intermis-
sion, it was time for the
main act: the Eugene Sym-
phony. Lecce-Chong, in
his second year as music
director and conductor,
the symphony played for
90 minutes — and were
briefly led by Cottage
Grove’s mayor Jeff Gowing
— jumping from the sounds
of Gershwin to Tchaikovsky.
And then of course the mu-
sic of Star Wars’ own John
Williams.
“I’m a huge Star Wars fan.
I think the whole state of
Oregon has figured that one
out,” said Lecce-Chong. He
continued by talking about
recently playing the score
of Star Wars with the Pitts-
burgh Symphony during a
showing of the movie. The
Eugene Symphony will be
putting on Star Wars: Live
in Concert (Episode IV: A
New Hope) in December.
“You’re not ever going to
have a chance to experience
it with this much of a Star
Wars fan conducting it,” he
said before breaking into a
brief monologue about the
music in the final scene of
Star Wars: The Force Awak-
ens.
When the conversation
of whether to have the sym-
phony come to Cottage
Grove or not came up last
year for city council, it was
met with a resounding yes.
According to city man-
ager Richard Meyers, the
event costs an estimated
$28,000 to put on each year.
The city ends up paying
around $11,000 while the
rest comes from donors.
“The city council saw this
as the best way to spend
$10,000,” said Meyers. He
noted that it is appreciated
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A crowd of more than 2,000
gathered for Monday night's
concert (above); Cottage
Grove Mayor Jeff Gowing (far
left) is greeted by Eugene
Symphony Orchestra Con-
ductor Francesco Lec-
ce-Chong.
for how it brings communi-
ty together in a unique and
memorable way.
He added that with people
bringing picnics, walking
their dogs and playing at
the park “it’s an old Norman
Rockwell painting of a con-
cert in the park.”
And while the city of Cot-
tage Grove likes the concert,
the feeling is mutual.
“It’s one of those things,
musicians, they know when
people are listening and
people are really into it. You
can tell when they’re enjoy-
ing it,” said the symphony’s
Freck. “They just feel so wel-
comed and that just feeds
their energy and makes their
performance that much
more special. To know that
you’re really helping people
create memories.”
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