Culture
Luke Frazier to create a double harmony with ‘Around the Campfire’ and ‘Queens of Country’
By: Emily Votaw
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GALLIPOLIS, Ohio (WOUB) – You’re sitting before a crackling campfire on a moonlit night. The air is thick with the sweet earthiness of burning wood.
Perhaps shadows dance and flicker, casting ghostly shapes on the surrounding trees, lending a special heft to even the simplest of ghost stories. Perhaps the reprise of a beloved sing-a-long fills you with a warm sense of ease and camaraderie.
Or maybe the flames just provide a gentle, mesmerizing focal point paired so soothingly with the warm crackle and pop of the fire – the quietude becomes a canvas for reflection.
This is the kind of autumnal nostalgia at the heart of the Ohio Valley Symphony’s Around the Campfire concert, happening tomorrow at the Ariel Opera House. The program comes to the Ariel courtesy of American Pops Orchestra conductor and founder, Luke Frazier, who will be joined by vocalist Hilary Morrow, pianist Jacqueline Schwab and guitarist Garrett Gleason.
That’s not the only event Frazier is bringing to WOUB’s region this year. At the end of next month, Frazier will present a program at the Peoples Bank Theatre in Marietta honoring the music of Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn. Appropriately titled “Queens of Country,” the program happens on October 27.
Frazier took the time to answer a few of WOUB Culture’s questions about the upcoming events. He gave us details on each specific program, insights into both the venues, and elaborated how both are shaped by his own Appalachian heritage.
WOUB Culture:
Tell me more about Around the Campfire.
Luke Frazier:
So many of my fondest memories growing up involve time spent around the campfire; at church camps, scout camps, family cook-outs. I decided to focus on music that would be made around a campfire: folksongs, hymns, bluegrass – or music inspired by being outdoors in scenes reminiscent of campfires. Like the haunting Night on Bald Mountain, the MacDowell Suite – which is very rarely performed-but a real jewel – with movements all evocative of nature; and the Copeland Hoe Down – which I first heard as a kid on old commercials for salsa.
I love the chance to get to mix classical and popular programming into one concert-marrying so many of my musical interests into one program specially designed for the Ohio Valley Symphony and the community they serve. I always select my programming based on my audiences and what will connect most and I’m hoping the audience gets as excited as I am about the music.
WOUB Culture:
Could you tell me more about selecting the Ariel Opera House as the venue for the performance?
Luke Frazier:
I have a passion for performing in historic theaters, I love the connection to the past and all the great performers who’ve come before.
WOUB Culture:
This weekend is an eventful one in many ways! Just across the river from Gallipolis is Point Pleasant, which will be in the midst of the Mothman Festival. I know you have roots in this region; and you’ve always been passionate about championing the region’s culture and history. I’m curious: what are your thoughts on the Mothman Festival?
Luke Frazier:
I’m so excited that the Mothman Festival is happening at the same time! I hope that lots of folks from the festival will check out the concert. I first heard about the Mothman around campfires as a kid and some of the pieces in the program will bring up those hair raising memories right to the fore.
WOUB Culture:
What’s the concept at the heart of the Queens of Country event?
Luke Frazier:
I wanted to honor three of the most influential queens of country – Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn. The music of these three women changed the trajectory of country music and it still rings through in the voices of artists today.
I’ve heard the music of these three women my entire life from many different people in my life – the music of these women touched so many lives and shaped how I hear so much country music. Often my musical lens is shaped by the artists who’ve shaped me, and those three women certainly have.
WOUB Culture:
Queens of Country is happening at the Peoples Bank Theatre – I’m curious: what makes that venue unique?
Luke Frazier:
I love any chance to make music back in my home region and that theater is a true jewel. The acoustics are great, the space is beautiful and the staff and crew are great to work with – that’s a perfect triumvirate for a good time!
WOUB Culture:
As a closing question: what do you hope audiences take away from these upcoming shows?
Luke Frazier:
I want the audiences to feel a sense of connection to the music and the people around them in the hall and in their lives. I narrate through each concert and try to help folks find ways to connect more deeply, that’s my ultimate goal in all of my musical endeavors – to bring people together.