If those cannons are rockin'...
September 24, 2009 5:25 PM Subscribe
Do any orchestras play the 1812 Overture with real cannons anywhere? If so, where and when? I would love to see it. Thanks!
Plan on spending next July 4th in Lancaster, Pa. Charlie Smithgall brings out the big guns every year for this event.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:41 PM on September 24, 2009
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:41 PM on September 24, 2009
Conner Prairie (www.connerprairie.org) just outside of Indianapolis, right around the Fourth of July, hosts the Stars and Stripes Symphony, which includes a LOUD version of the 1812 symphony as performed by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, with very satisfying artillery fire followed by fireworks. I have very fond childhood memories of watching the explosions from a lawn chair on the open field.
posted by salsamander at 5:42 PM on September 24, 2009
posted by salsamander at 5:42 PM on September 24, 2009
Yeah, I saw the Army Band do it on the mall last year; it was a good time.
posted by meta_eli at 5:47 PM on September 24, 2009
posted by meta_eli at 5:47 PM on September 24, 2009
They did it that way earlier this month in Portland, OR.. And it's happening this weekend in the "Little Apple" during halftime of the Kansas State football game.
Looks like you're in Wyoming . . . the University of Wyoming marching band has the overture with real cannons in their repertoire this season, apparently.
Bottom line, this doesn't seem uncommon and apparently can often be found at college football games.
posted by donovan at 5:47 PM on September 24, 2009
Looks like you're in Wyoming . . . the University of Wyoming marching band has the overture with real cannons in their repertoire this season, apparently.
Bottom line, this doesn't seem uncommon and apparently can often be found at college football games.
posted by donovan at 5:47 PM on September 24, 2009
I've been to an annual one a few times, but these days that show uses fireworks instead, so I can't give an answer.
But I mainly thought I'd mention a problem that might mar your enjoyment if you're not forewarned about it; it seems to be very difficult to get artillery to fire exactly on time (even a mere fraction of a second off time can seem like a jarring inaccuracy for music), and even if they can fire the cannons perfectly, the cannons will not be situated in the orchestra amongst the strings or wind, they'll be safely off in another (restricted) area, so depending on where you are in relation to both, the difference in time it takes for the orchestral sound to reach you, vs the cannon sound, can again be enough to make the cannons sound off time. (These problems are even greater for fireworks)
Also, the difference in volume between a violin and a cannon... while it's sort of part of the point, it can also be... vast. Artillery can make even an amplified orchestra seem like just some quiet, irrelevant, background music (not to mention be momentarily deafening). Hopefully the show you find will be using small cannons - I would think that smaller = better. :)
posted by -harlequin- at 6:00 PM on September 24, 2009
But I mainly thought I'd mention a problem that might mar your enjoyment if you're not forewarned about it; it seems to be very difficult to get artillery to fire exactly on time (even a mere fraction of a second off time can seem like a jarring inaccuracy for music), and even if they can fire the cannons perfectly, the cannons will not be situated in the orchestra amongst the strings or wind, they'll be safely off in another (restricted) area, so depending on where you are in relation to both, the difference in time it takes for the orchestral sound to reach you, vs the cannon sound, can again be enough to make the cannons sound off time. (These problems are even greater for fireworks)
Also, the difference in volume between a violin and a cannon... while it's sort of part of the point, it can also be... vast. Artillery can make even an amplified orchestra seem like just some quiet, irrelevant, background music (not to mention be momentarily deafening). Hopefully the show you find will be using small cannons - I would think that smaller = better. :)
posted by -harlequin- at 6:00 PM on September 24, 2009
They do it at the July 4 Boston pops concert every year.
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:19 PM on September 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:19 PM on September 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
I know the Kingston Symphony Association (Ontario Canada) has performed the 1812 Overture at Fort Henry with cannons - excuse me - 24-pounder smoothbore muzzle-loading shotguns, but I don't know if they have plans to do so in the future.
Also, what -harlequin- said.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:11 PM on September 24, 2009
Also, what -harlequin- said.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:11 PM on September 24, 2009
The 1812 Overture was played at last year's Fourth of July concert in Genoa, Nevada. The Nevada National Guard brought some sort of howitzer. We brought our 7 month-old baby girl. Hijinks ensued.
I think they'll do it again next year. We are not planning to attend.
posted by harkin banks at 8:04 PM on September 24, 2009
I think they'll do it again next year. We are not planning to attend.
posted by harkin banks at 8:04 PM on September 24, 2009
In other words, outdoors in the summertime. The rest of the year, you can satisfy your cravings by listening to the very finest recording of the 1812 which features a bronze cannon cast in France in 1775, all recorded with great clarity. It will exercise your speakers (or, if you live in an apartment, your headphones). Some call this one of the best recordings of all time.
posted by exphysicist345 at 8:15 PM on September 24, 2009
posted by exphysicist345 at 8:15 PM on September 24, 2009
The Quad City Symphony has a pops concert every year around Labor Day in LeClaire Park in Davenport, IA. It always ends with the 1812 Overture and Stars and Stripes for ever. I went every year growing up and there were always soldiers shooting off cannons. I haven't heard that they've changed it.
posted by PhatLobley at 8:29 PM on September 24, 2009
posted by PhatLobley at 8:29 PM on September 24, 2009
The Fort Henry thing mentioned above by Multicellular Exothermic is indeed an annual summer event, that as far as I know has been going on for years and will continue again next summer. It's usually Wednesdays and weekends.
posted by tiamat at 9:09 PM on September 24, 2009
posted by tiamat at 9:09 PM on September 24, 2009
They do it every year in Canberra at RMC Duntroon and was scheduled yesterday and today but they cancelled it for budgetary reasons.
I used to go when I was a kid and my uncle was bandmaster of Duntroon. It was awesome.
posted by evil_esto at 1:24 AM on September 25, 2009
I used to go when I was a kid and my uncle was bandmaster of Duntroon. It was awesome.
posted by evil_esto at 1:24 AM on September 25, 2009
Come to England and see a Battleprom. There are many cannons. It's slightly strange.
posted by sundri at 5:18 AM on September 25, 2009
posted by sundri at 5:18 AM on September 25, 2009
I've seen this in Chicago; also in Memphis in Tom Lee Park. We shelled Arkansas, it was great.
OK, not really, but that's the direction the guns were pointed.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:02 AM on September 25, 2009
OK, not really, but that's the direction the guns were pointed.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:02 AM on September 25, 2009
Each year, the Richmond Concert Band plays the 1812 Overture with cannon AND carillon and fireworks. There are lots of places that have artillery of some sort, but relatively few that add in the carillon part!
Having performed the 1812 Overture with howitzers (not in Richmond -- I played here for many years -- I can tell you that once the artillery starts going off, the musicians know that it's all background music. Perhaps it was due to the proximity of the artillery to the stage I was playing on, but some of us wondered whether anyone would notice if we started playing a totally different piece of music.
Also, FWIW, I suspect that the quality of musicianship suffers slightly when most of the musicians (discretely or not so discretely) put in earplugs before or during the piece.
posted by QuantumMeruit at 10:59 AM on September 25, 2009
Having performed the 1812 Overture with howitzers (not in Richmond -- I played here for many years -- I can tell you that once the artillery starts going off, the musicians know that it's all background music. Perhaps it was due to the proximity of the artillery to the stage I was playing on, but some of us wondered whether anyone would notice if we started playing a totally different piece of music.
Also, FWIW, I suspect that the quality of musicianship suffers slightly when most of the musicians (discretely or not so discretely) put in earplugs before or during the piece.
posted by QuantumMeruit at 10:59 AM on September 25, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Bring a picnic basket, the army will bring cannons
U.S. Army Band Annual events
I also think I've seen TV of a concert at Grant Park in Chicago of the 1812 Overture with cannons, but I couldn't find much recent.
posted by leahwrenn at 5:40 PM on September 24, 2009