Editorial: Cancellation can’t shush concert’s friendly tone
The Spokane Symphony’s free Comstock Park concert each Labor Day became such a tradition that some of us can’t quite imagine the summer ending without it.
For nearly 25 years, the concert has connected families, friends and neighbors who gather together on lawn chairs and blankets on the grass. Two weeks ago, however, the symphony cancelled this year’s concert. Corporate sponsorships have dwindled during a difficult economic time.
Ten years ago, says symphony spokesperson Annie Matlow, the Comstock concert had so many sponsors that symphony staff members struggled to find room for all their banners. This year, only Avista remained, pledging $10,000 of the concert’s total $36,000 budget. Even the Spokane Parks Foundation, which usually gives $5,000 annually, cautiously suspended its grant program for 2010.
The Comstock concert is so beloved that the only real public controversies surrounding it in 25 years have been the music selections. In years when either Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” or Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” were left off the program, concertgoers complained. Both compositions have become so closely associated with the Comstock concert that the notes themselves seemed to command the end of summer.
Now, suddenly, not only Tchaikovsky and Sousa will be missing from Comstock this Labor Day, but also the symphony itself. Will the days cease to shorten? Will the leaves refrain from changing? Perhaps.
Since its July 22 announcement, the symphony office has heard a strong response. It’s too late to bring the concert back for this year. Instead, Matlow recommends that people channel their concern into buying tickets for the upcoming season’s performances.
But as important as yearlong support for the symphony is, there’s a richness created by the tradition of a free concert open to everyone. It must not be lost. Fortunately, the symphony hopes to bring back the Comstock concert in 2011. Already, local individuals and groups are brainstorming ways to make that possible.
In contrast, the show will go on this year at Liberty Lake’s Pavillion Park. Friends of Pavillion Park raises funds for concerts and movies throughout the season. The symphony will perform there at 6 p.m. on Sept. 4.
The Spokane Parks Foundation plans to reinstate its grants program in 2011, and others have already expressed interest in helping to find new funding for the Comstock concert.
In the meantime, members of four adjoining South Hill neighborhood councils have already begun planning a joint potluck picnic at Comstock this Labor Day. The music may have paused, but the community connections must continue.