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On Monday, March 14, KUED will air the first of what will be a trilogy of films commemorating 100 years of the National Park Service. The trilogy, called Year of the Parks, <\/em>begins with \u201cNational Park Symphony,<\/em>\u201d a visual portrait (or music video, depending on how you want to look at\/listen to it), starring the five national parks featuring music by the Utah Symphony under the baton of music director Thierry Fischer.<\/p>\n The film was inspired by the symphony\u2019s \u201cMighty Five\u201d tour in August 2014, during which the orchestra performed against the backdrop of Utah\u2019s five national parks, both as a prelude to the centennial of the National Park Service and as a celebration of the orchestra\u2019s 75th <\/sup>anniversary.<\/p>\n The film is a feast of visual and musical beauty. The music will sound familiar to many; most of it is quiet and contemplative. It\u2019s the kind of music you would want to listen to as you sit still and close your eyes if the visuals accompanying it weren\u2019t so darn gorgeous. Photographers Gary Turnier and Nick Vincent shot the scenery over four seasons at the parks, with additional footage from John Howe. Those who visit the parks regularly will see some familiar vistas and maybe some secluded spots they haven\u2019t seen yet, and those who have never been might be inspired to start planning their next road trip.<\/p>\n The project was made possible, in part, by the state of Utah. Governor Gary Herbert is a proponent of Utah\u2019s national parks and the Utah Symphony. According to the governor, this collaboration perfectly embodies Utah\u2019s tourism slogan, \u201cLife Elevated.\u201d Utah Symphony fans will feel proud to see their beloved orchestra paired with such renowned natural beauty. The musicians also were proud to be part of such an ambitious project. “It’s a tremendous honor for us to have our music paired with the unsurpassed beauty of the natural landscapes of Utah,\u201d says Mercedes Smith, principal flutist of the Utah Symphony. \u201cThe music, combined with the incredible cinematography, elevates our stunning parks to a truly majestic level.”<\/p>\n The serene musical selections by Debussy, Dvo\u0159\u00e1k, and Ravel are sewn together with interludes of silence, filled only with the sounds of wind and native inhabitants of the parks. However, not all music is quiet and serene, just as not all scenes from the parks are full of peace, harmony and calm. When dramatic storms move across the sky, or mountain bikers race along the redrock, selections from Olivier Messiaen\u2019s \u201cL\u2019Ascension\u201d <\/em>might raise your heart rate as anxiety replaces the tranquility you were feeling earlier.<\/p>\n Purists might question the need for music to be accompanied by visuals, or for beautiful scenery to need a soundtrack. Perhaps each art form should<\/em> be perfectly capable of speaking for itself. There is truth to that, but there is also truth and undiscovered value in collaboration. As Utah Symphony Music Director Thierry Fischer admitted in reference to the Mighty Five tour, \u201cThis experience fills a part of me I didn\u2019t know was empty.\u201d<\/p>\n