One-song, socially distant concert brings musicians outside in Libertyville

The horns were there. The strings were there. The audience was there. Even the percussion section showed up.

A one-song concert, organized by Libertyville High School Director of Bands Adam Gohr, was a success around town, as well as Gohr's own lawn.

Gohr chose "America The Beautiful" to unite the community and honor front-line workers, and encourage music students to play together, even distantly.

"It was fun to play music with real people," Gohr joked after the three-minute concert. "Besides my family, I mean."

Through word-of-mouth and social media, musicians of all levels were asked to play at precisely 5 p.m., outside on their porches, driveways and lawns. Gohr arranged the sheet music for several instruments and hoped people would also sing and video-record the performances. And they did at his home.

At least a dozen people sang and used cellphones to record 13 musicians playing in socially distant locations marked with chalk on his driveway. Gohr led the show on trumpet, with his wife, Kendra, and daughter Annabelle, 11, on euphonium, and son Owen, 13, playing the cello.

Gohr hopes those who played will submit videos of their performance to bit.ly/LvilleDayofMusic. Vocals will be collected separately and dubbed over a video montage to be created. The finished product may be part of Libertyville's virtual Memorial Day ceremony.