FORT WORTH, Texas—On the evening of Sept. 11, 2001, the musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra launched their concert with a piece that many of their symphonic compatriots nationwide were also playing that mournful week: “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Unlike with most other orchestras, this wouldn’t be just a momentary musical bowing of the head, a single remembrance of a horrific day in American history. It became the start of a tradition.
Fourteen years later, the Fort Worth Symphony is one of the few major-city orchestras that play the national anthem before every full-orchestra performance.
In this photo taken Sept. 4, 2015, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra,with guest conductor Jack Everly (C), plays "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Fort Worth, Texas. Joyce Marshall/Star-Telegram via AP
