BSO’s free Key Bridge tribute concert is a perfect match for Fort McHenry

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony in the City concert series will come to a close for its 2024 season in a significant way: The outdoor concert taking place at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine on Friday is dedicated to those affected by the Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy.

The concert has been set to take place at Fort McHenry since the fall of last year, well before a container ship collided with the Key Bridge on March 26, causing its collapse, the death of six people and far-spanning economic consequences. Fort McHenry — most well-known for being the site of a battle that inspired bridge namesake Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” — consequently became one of the safe places from which people could view the wreckage.

The BSO and National Park Service felt it was “the right thing to do to dedicate this concert to the bridge disaster, the initial response, the recovery, and hopefully bring the community together with a view of rebuilding for the future,” said Allison Burr-Livingstone, BSO’s senior vice president and chief advancement officer.

The closing concert of the series will be led for the first time by BSO Music Director Jonathon Heyward, with a lineup of performers that includes the main orchestra, members of BSO OrchKids, the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra and BSO artistic partner Wordsmith.

“When we think of the bridge, it symbolizes home for us even if we didn’t cross it,” Wordsmith said. “We saw the Key Bridge from afar, so not seeing it anymore is like losing a piece of the city.”

Alongside works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Wynton Marsalis, Antonín Dvořák and more, Wordsmith is performing a piece titled “Welcome Home,” which he said represents “unity, reconciliation and rebuilding.” In it, the spoken word artist challenges listeners to uplift each other to make a positive change.

“In America, we’ve seen a lot of tragedies take place and those seem to be the times when we come together,” he said. “So I’m hoping that this concert will do the same for the city.”

The Symphony in the City series was created to ensure that the orchestra reaches out beyond the walls of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and is accessible to all communities across Baltimore.

Though Friday’s family-friendly event is free, the BSO invites attendees to donate to the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund at the Baltimore Community Foundation, which supports recovery and resilience efforts for those affected by the tragedy.

“As we gather at Fort McHenry, we’re not just sharing a concert; we’re uniting in a communal experience that celebrates resilience and recovery and underscores our belief in music’s ability to comfort, connect, and inspire,” Heyward said in a statement.

And, of course, the orchestra will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.”