'Stars and Stripes Forever' in Collegedale

IF YOU GO

* What: East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra presents "Stars and Stripes Forever."* When: 8 p.m. Tuesday.* Where: Collegedale Greenway at the Veterans Memorial Park.* Admission: Free.* etsomusic.org.

In celebration of the birth of America, the East Tennessee Symphony presents "Stars and Stripes Forever," an annual event in its sixth or seventh year.

"The first year it was just a group of folks out on some semi-flatbed trailers," said orchestra manager Cameron Kuhlman. "It wasn't formally organized as the ETSO."

The concert, to be held at the Collegedale Greenway at Veterans Memorial Park on Tuesday night, will feature a collection of patriotic tunes, the marches of John Phillip Sousa and P.I. Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture."

While often included as part of Independence Day celebrations across the nation, the "1812 Overture" was actually written in celebration of Russia's defense of Moscow against Napoleon's army. "It's a fun piece to play, and the crowd loves it," said Kuhlman. A local cannon re-enactment company will be on hand to add realistic sound effects to the work. The goal is to fire at appropriate times with the music, which, Kuhlman admitted, doesn't always happen as planned.

"Depending on your level of sophistication, you might call it playing along, or you might call it pulling the trigger while we happen to be playing music."

Contact Holly Leber at hleber@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6391. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ hollyleber.

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