Step into the pages of some of the world’s most unforgettable stories through the powerful sound of the Fredericksburg Concert Band. Symphonic Words: The Music of Famous Literature brings beloved characters, epic adventures, mythical worlds, biblical stories, and timeless poetry to life through music.

Journey across the seas with Of Sailors and Whales, Michael McBeth’s dramatic musical portrayal of five scenes from Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. Experience the legendary conflict of the Trojan War in Robert W. Smith’s The Iliad, from The Odyssey Symphony No. 2, and enter the extraordinary world of Middle-earth with Johan de Meij’s monumental The Lord of the Rings, featuring excerpts from his Symphony No. 1.

The program also explores the beauty and imagery of literature in Eric Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby, based on Rudyard Kipling’s opening poem for “The White Seal” chapter of The Jungle Book. David Holsinger’s Abram’s Pursuit brings a biblical story from Genesis 14 to life as Abram pursues the kings who have captured his nephew Lot. This high-energy, fast-tempo chase is filled with driving percussion, rapid-moving woodwinds, and a sense of relentless pursuit.

Magic takes center stage with John Williams’ unforgettable Harry Potter Symphonic Suite, transporting audiences to the world of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Finally, Alfred Reed’s The Hounds of Spring draws its inspiration from Atalanta in Calydon, the 1865 lyric poem by Victorian-era English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne, evoking the energy, beauty, and renewal of spring.

From epic battles and mythical quests to magic, biblical adventure, poetry, and moments of breathtaking beauty, Symphonic Words celebrates the remarkable connection between literature and music—and the stories that continue to inspire us long after the final page is turned.