Sunday’s hot temperatures made it tough to do some outdoor activities, but it didn’t stop Olympia’s Symphony Orchestra from showcasing their art for the community.
“There are several taglines for this concert; one is sweating with the symphony, another is solar symphony,” Executive Director Jennifer Hermann explained.
The orchestra played a free show on the grounds of the state capitol. They consider it a gift to the community, a chance to showcase highlights of its repertoire.
“For a lot of people this is the first exposure to symphonic music and especially exposure in Olympia to know what we have here, the excellence of our symphony,” she said.
They didn’t plan on temperatures that would top 90 degrees at the start of the show. Sponsors donated thousands of bottles of water for concert goers and they set up a cooling station for fans. Unfortunately, orchestra members must suffer a bit for the sake of their music.
"We can't put fans in the tent because their sheet music would fly everywhere,” Hermann said, “We can't put water misters because these instruments are priceless; they're many thousands of dollars and we can't risk ruining them with water.”
They picked the date for the show months ago because, statistically, it's the least likely Sunday to rain.
