The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the annual Fourth of July concert at Thompson Park this year, however, the Longmont Symphony Orchestra, or LSO, is determined that the show goes on.
The city of Longmont and LSO partner each year to plan a patriotic celebration at Thompson Park. The planning for the event begins months in advance and left organizers little choice but to respect the COVID guidelines and protocols at the time.
Not knowing what the future might hold, planners decided to make the concert virtual, according to a news release from LSO.
The in-person festivities for the Independence Day celebration is not a complete bust though. The LSO Brass Quintet will kick off ArtWalk’s Summer on the Streets event on July 3 from 6:30-8 p.m. The live performance will take place at St. Stephen’s Plaza, located at 500 Main St.
The performance will consist of a combination of patriotic and pop music played on trumpets, a horn and a tuba.
The main event still will take place on Independence Day with a virtual performance by LSO. The performance will host special guest conductor Officer Craig Mansanares of the Longmont Police Department.
Mansanares won the LSO Superconductor contest in 2020 and finally will be able to show off his new skill, learned by working closely with LSO Music Director Elliot Moore. Mansanares will conduct the Washington Post March by John Philip Sousa.
"Craig is so engaging and did a great job. The orchestra just loved him!" Moore said in the news release.
The concert will be aired by Longmont Public Media, or LPM, on Comcast channels 8 and 880, the LPM website and the LPM Roku app on July 4 at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. and on July 5 at 10 a.m., noon, 4, 6 and 8 p.m.
