Crowd turns out at Ravinia as Chicago Symphony Orchestra offers tribute to Highland Park massacre victims
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- In another step toward healing in Highland Park, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra opened the performance at the Ravinia Festival Friday evening with a special tribute to the Highland Park Strong.
Monday will mark two weeks since a massacre left seven people dead and dozens wounded when a man opened fire upon the July 4th parade.
Ravinia, which is itself in Highland Park, closed for a week out of respect to those impacted by the July 4th shooting. Now, the community is hoping music will help heal.
It rained Friday evening, but that didn't stop the Highland Park community from being together.
"When it comes to music, nothing can stop me," said Linda Spadlowski.
The lawn at Ravinia was once again filled with family, food, and fun conductor Marin Alsop led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at its longstanding summer residence. It was the first time some of the families in attendance had been out since tragedy took over their town.
"I think music has a great ability to heal; to nourish the spirit," Spadlowski said. "There's nothing that's going to stop me from enjoying the best that Highland Park has to offer."
The music comes after a week of silence at Ravinia out of respect for families. A Sheryl Crow performance featuring special guest Keb' Mo' and Southern Avenue set for Thursday, July 7, was postponed, while several others – including performances by John Fogerty and by Lyle Lovett and Chris Isaak – were canceled.
Now, there is music again. The CSO offered a brief musical tribute and moment of silence for the seven victims, honoring those lives lost through music.
We asked the crowd whether there was any fear returning to the festival grounds so close to where the shooting took place.
"I don't want to live in fear," one woman said. "Everybody's canceling because they're in fear, and it's like, you can't that way. "People want to take us apart; keep us away from each other - the more we want to come together."
For others, the reality of what happened in their community still isn't real.
"It's still something where it's hard to get your head around," said Ian Wirth.
Ravinia Festival President Jeff Haydon hopes the space will help families move forward.
"We're the healing chapter," Haydon said. "We're the chapter where people ca learn how to feel again and learn to be together again."
And remember this, Haydon said:
"There is so much more good in the world than there is the evil."
For some more musical healing, https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/billy-corgan-to-host-benefit-concert-for-highland-park-parade-massacre-victims/" target="_blank">Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins will perform a charity live stream show from Madame ZuZu
The charity concert is set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, and will be broadcast live on YouTube for free. Viewers will be able to make charitable donations while the concert is in progress.
Proceeds will go to the Highland Park Community Foundation's July 4th Victims Response Fund.
Corgan has lived in Highland Park for about 20 years, and his wife Chloe for about 10.