heptalogy honors eclipse

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A random encounter found us in downtown Little Rock, anticipating a performance of Holst's "The Planets" by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.  The much-anticipated event included a vocal cameo from the University of Arkansas - Little Rock Women's Choir. 

An evening of colorful sound began with "Night Ferry" by Anna Clyne, exploring the extremes of manic depression.   The chaotic range of emotional intensities seemed to leave the audience in a state of bewildered fascination.


After an intermission wide enough to refresh mind and body, "The Planets" by Gustav Holst exploded in the mind's eye next.  This particular space heptalogy is likely one of the most recognizable symphonies, enjoyed through a variety of inspirations like the score from Star Wars.  The choir entered near the end, perhaps at Neptune, blending in imperceptibly with the violins and their accompaniment.   Their voices appeared as if by magic from behind the scenes and all received a standing ovation in the end.

Only a few scenes were captured, stalking the balconies at intermission to see what kind of view those folks enjoyed in the Robinson Center. The few samples of video do not begin to enable an audio vision of this performance, though they do give a view of our position for the show.  While the upper decks had greater visibility, our geography enjoyed the full force of the instruments.  In all, the experience was a most enjoyable lead-in to the coming darkness of the eclipse.

Location: Robinson Center, 426 W Markham St, Little Rock, AR 72201, USA

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