The World Series starts tonight and I don’t care because the Yankees were an unmitigated post-season disaster. I will try and be happy for the two teams that made it, though, if only because both cities have very good symphony orchestras.
The St. Louis Symphony has already stepped up to the plate…ba-ZING!…and taped themselves in Cardinals’ gear playing ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame”. They sound darn good, too:
But now it’s BETTIN’ time. The Dallas Symphony asked the St. Louis Symphony on Twitter if they should bet on the Series. John Clare at Texas Public Radio suggested that the losing team’s orchestra has to play ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ at their first concert after the Series with the music director–that would be Jaap Van Zweden or David Robertson, no guest conductor mumbo jumbo–wearing the opposing, winning, team’s baseball cap for all their hometown audience to see.
So, what’s it going to be? The World Series starts in a few hours. Let’s get a bet on the table!
Also, if Nolan Ryan wants to send me some steaks, too, he could definitely buy my loyalty. Yes, I’m that easy.
One of my best friends is a violinist in the St Louis Symphony who is originally from… wait for it… Dallas. Love that the SLS got in the spirit – major points for that.
With apologies for the shameless plug . . .
The Tigers playoff series against the Yankees coincided with Community Week at the DSO – performances at five venues around metro Detroit. The morning of the first Community Concert, Leonard Slatkin asked the library if they could find the music to the old Tigers fight song, “Go Get ‘Em, Tigers.” The music did not exist – not for orchestra, not for piano, not for anything. So our very talented and hardworking librarians, Robert Stiles and Ethan Allen, transcribed and arranged “Go Get ‘Em Tigers” in the afternoon and had the music on the stands for that evening’s concert at a local shopping center. It was an instant hit around the metro area, prompting articles in the Free Press, on MLB.com and tweets by the Tigers.
And here’s the video from that initial performance at the Somerset Collection in Troy, MI:
http://www.youtube.com/detroitsymphony#p/u/4/3CNibpKmVN4
Enjoy!
-Scott Harrison
Senior Director of Patron Engagement / Executive Producer of Digital Media, Detroit Symphony Orchestra