The Creation of a New Work for St. Louis

Return to Special Events page
Return to Millennium Celebration page

The Millennium Work for St. Louis, The Bushy Wushy Rag, is a spirited musical celebration of the colorful history, culture and vitality of the people of St. Louis. It includes sounds and influences ranging from a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game to the ragtime music of Scott Joplin.

The work, by composer Phillip Kent Bimstein, is as boisterously American as ragtime and the game of baseball, bridging the gaps between art and pop culture, the concert hall and the ballpark, and the saloon, and music and storytelling.

While written for a classically trained wind quintet, the Equinox Chamber Players, it also includes some characteristic sounds of a Cardinals' game, such as the ball resoundingly struck by a bat and slamming into the catcher's mitt, the umpire calling, "Y'er OUT!," or "S T-R-R-R-R-I-K-E!," the calls of beer and peanut vendors, and the cheers and boos of the fans. The sound score also includes the words of Bushy Wushy the Beer Man, who has worked at Sportsman's Park and Busch Stadium for over 40 years, and whose love of the Cardinals and the fans can be heard in his voice, which expresses the heart and soul of St. Louis.

These unique sounds and voices were orchestrated and arranged into a musical score that interacted with and engaged the wind quintet. The result was an action-packed nine-inning crackerjack performance which entertained as well as enlightened, premiering at FAIR SAINT LOUIS, July 4, 2000. The "Bushy-Wushy Rag" will continue to serve as a musical monument to St. Louis for many years to come.


This musical portrait is made possible by the Continental Harmony residency in St. Louis, during which the composer and the Equinox Chamber Players will demonstrate and discuss the work for a wide variety of St. Louis schools and organizations.

Continental Harmony links communities with composers to celebrate the new millennium through the creation of original musical works. The program is a partnership of American Composers Forum and the National Endowment for the Arts, and an Associate Partner of the White House Millennium Council.

home : organization : faq : musicians : board : special events : calendar
articles : recordings : sponsors : contact : press : store : mailing list : support