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Spruce Knob. Highest point in West Virginia. I’ve never climbed up to it, even though I was in its shadow this summer (I stuck to swimming in the nearby Senaca Rocks swimming hole).
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Google Image search does turn up plenty of incentives to brave the climb. (Of course, if you have better photos, do send them my way).
Composer John Beall organized his Symphony No. 2 (“Spruce Knob”) around the idea of climbing up Spruce Mountain to Spruce Knob. You can hear some of the music mixed in with our
interview that was on the radio this morning.
As often happens, we couldn’t fit the whole discussion into the radio piece. If you want to hear more from John Beall about this symphony and preparing for the performance by the WVU Symphony Orchestra, listen here:
John Beall discusses his Symphony No. 2 "Spruce Knob"
On tonight’s concert, the WVU Symphony Orchestra will also be playing
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 (in my book, the best Beethoven). If you have seen The King's Speech, you’ve encountered the second movement of this symphony
in a dramatic context (If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t just watch
this video here. Go watch the whole movie!)