Violinist with South Dakota Symphony Speaks out on 2001 Concert and Behind the Scenes Footage

[Cowpoke]

I always had the impression the orchestra was
having a ball those 2 days with Glen. Nice to have it confirmed by one of the musicians! Thanks Jay.

[jay]

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Jay Reeve (a violinist with the South Dakota Symphony) recently posted:

Glen Campbell was an amazing musician. For reasons I don’t entirely understand, he chose my orchestra to back him in recording a live-concert PBS special in 2001. It was one of the highlights of my career.

While it’s true that Campbell’s music isn’t my preferred classical genre, working with him through several rehearsals and two live recording sessions was thrilling and memorable. Orchestra musicians generally understand that “pops” concerts are what pays the bills and allows us to play the Beethoven and Mahler concerts that we’re passionate about.

Many of the pops I’ve played were less than memorable, and a few were downright miserable. (Mannheim Steamroller comes to mind.) What makes the difference generally isn’t the quality of the soloist, but the quality of the orchestrations they bring. I don’t recall having played with an accordionist but, while I generally share your disdain for accordion music, I have heard a few players who were very enjoyable. If one of them were to arrive on the stage in front of me, and put interesting arrangements on my stand, I could definitely enjoy making music with them.

No disdain for Glen Campbell, though. I invite you to listen to the video he recorded with us and see the depth of his musicianship, his virtuosic guitar (and banjo) technique, and how much fun the orchestra is having with him.

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Of course, the soundtrack and DVD of this concert are priceless. Here is some of the behind the scene footage of Glen's time in Sioux Falls: