The Cherokee Symphony Plays for RAGBRAI

RAGBRAI = Des Moines
Register's
Annual
Great
Bicycle
Ride
Across
Iowa
 

RAGBRAI XXVI Cherokee, IA

Storm Lake, IA

Cherokee, IA

RAGBRAI XXVI overnighted in Cherokee, Iowa, on the night of July 20, 1998:
 

Dave's RAGBRAI Page wrote of this concert:  Many said that this was the best musical event of the entire RAGBRAI. The symphony is composed of musicians from a 70 mile radius which are all volunteers. A fourth of them rode the RAGBRAI, showered and performed including our very own Bruce Eilers and Norm Running.  As a matter of fact Lee Thorson, the conductor of the group, arrived in his cycling clothes for the concert in the nick of time!!!!  Note the fanny pack on Lee (above).

One of the highlights of the concert was when the tired, overheated cyclists were treated to a performance of LeRoy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride", just to cool them down. The audience packed the house, aisles and all!  Thanks to Dave's RAGBRAI Page for making the photos available.

RAGBRAI XXX overnighted in Cherokee, Iowa, again on the night of July 21, 2002. The Cherokee Symphony performed a free pops concert in the Washington High School Auditorium.  The concert featured an original composition for RAGBRAI (Music for a Great Ride) by composer Jim Theobald.
 

According to Dave's RAGBRAI Page,  The concert was very aggressive and featured Shostakovich's Festive Overture(video clip), Finlandia, American Salute (video clip), and a world premiere performance of Music for a Great Ride by Jim Theobald.  The composer was there from New York.  The concert had a patriotic theme and there was great audience participation.  When the audience sang God Bless America, they stood and sang spontaneously.  There wasn't a dry eye in the audience.
Some of Dave's RAGBRAI crew joined the orchestra and others took the pictures on these pages and on Dave's RAGBRAI Page for you to enjoy.  We thank Dave for making them available.

For more information about RAGBRAI, check out the Official RAGBRAI Site, or, for information about activities at past RAGBRAIs (and planning for RAGBRAI XXXI), check out Dave's RAGBRAI Page.  If you would like to play with the The Cherokee Symphony during the regular season or be placed on a notification list for the next time they play for RAGBRAI, contact Lee Thorson, conductor.