Symphony in the Flint Hills

I have always said that every place we land will have something amazing and extraordinary to offer. I think I have found my love in Kansas, it is called The Symphony in the Flint Hills. It was held on June 14th out by Council Grove, about 45 minutes from Manhattan, on traditional Kaw Territory less than two miles from the Santa Fe Trail. The concert was performed by the Kansas City Symphony on privately owned ranchland.

The concert moves every year, “The Flint Hills have many faces. Each year moving the symphony to different sites-traveling from county to county, we honor our beloved tallgrass prairie and our plains heritage with music as big as the western sky.”

The idea is 5000 people come and brings chairs and drinks and sit on the land and listen to music. There are no lights, so the concert is during the day. Matter of fact, there is no infrastructure at all (unless you bring your own chair). There is just a tent for the symphony to play in.

From what I hear it is quite an honor to have your land picked as the home of this annual event. This year it was on a ranch. And at one point the song from the beef commercial, Aaron Copland's Rodeo, was played while men on horseback herded cattle in the background. It was amazing.

The night began with the whole crowd standing with hand over heart as the National Anthem was played and ended with that same crowd back on its feet and hands placed on hearts as the symphony finished with Home on the Range. Again…it was amazing.

Check out the pictures.