An Americana Evening: Louisville Orchestra to perform in Glasgow July 8

By Allyson Dix, Managing Editor/Barren County Progress

Seven-thirty is the drop of the baton for the Louisville Orchestra’s evening concert on July 8, an annual performance on the Glasgow Public Square.

Music director Teddy Abrams is returning to Glasgow to lead the orchestra in an Americana-themed lineup and the evening will feature the father-daughter musical duo Joe Hudson and Shelby Hudson Bryant.

Opening with The Star-Spangled Banner, audiences can expect the evening to unfold with a vibrant program that combines iconic classics, cinematic favorites, and new compositions.

From Rossini’s lively Overture to The Barber of Seville to John Williams’ Theme from Jurassic Park to a brand new commission from Oswald Huỳnh and Carlos Simon—the lineup is sure to offer something for everyone. Additionally, audiences this July will see the debut of the Orchestra’s new mobile stage.

Ernie Myers, Chairman of the Concert on the Square committee, which is a committee with the Glasgow-Barren County Foundation, said the “In Harmony” tour is a gratuitous opportunity for Glasgow.

“We are very fortunate to have been chosen for the third year in a row to be a part of this In Harmony tour, which is a partnership between the Louisville Orchestra and Kentucky legislatures,” Myers said. “And because of that, the concert is put on as a gratuitous opportunity for us. Normally, we have to pay a pretty good amount to get the Louisville Orchestra, so we feel quite fortunate we’ve been able to go three years, which has been underwritten by the legislators.”

Abrams is a world renowned and senior music director and this is his third year in a row coming to Glasgow, and Myers said, “He is a treat–we sure do enjoy having him down here.”

Myers said attendees should consider bringing lawn chairs and/or blankets to sit on the courthouse yard facing city hall, where the concert will be performed.

“In Harmony – The Commonwealth Tour of the Louisville Orchestra” initially kicked off in 2022 when the organization was awarded $4.3 million by the Kentucky Legislature to build community and promote more equitable cultural health and well-being throughout the Commonwealth. Since its inception, the “In Harmony” tour has seen remarkable success, reaching more than 34,000 Kentuckians across 43 counties and earning the Orchestra renewal of funding for continued touring through 2026.

The tour is made possible through a partnership with the Kentucky General Assembly in conjunction with the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet. Additional support is provided by Eleanor Bingham Miller, Brook and Pam Smith, Lindy B. Street, and anonymous donors. Other In Harmony tour stops include Elizabethtown, Muhlenberg, and Bardstown.