Lancaster Symphony Orchestra

A New Birth of Freedom — The final movement of Michael Wege's Second Founding

The 13th Amendment. The 14th Amendment. The 15th Amendment.
Together, they created what scholars call America's "second founding"—a new birth of freedom that expanded the promise of democracy to millions who had been denied it.

Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith fought for these amendments with everything they had. And while their work was transformative, it was also unfinished. The ideal of liberty and justice for all remains a work in progress—one that continues today.

In this closing movement, Michael Wege captures both the triumph of their achievement and the ongoing journey ahead. It's hopeful. It's powerful. And it's happening for the first time ever next week.

Stevens & Smith: A Concert Celebrating Freedom, Equality, and Democracy March 13-15 at the Gardner Theatre

Tickets: www.lancastersymphony.org or by calling 717.291.6440.

WORLD PREMIERE: Second Founding by Lancaster's Michael Wege

In a little over a week, experience the world premiere of a new orchestral work that brings the story of Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith to life—two Lancaster visionaries whose fight for justice reshaped American democracy.

Commissioned for the opening of the Stevens & Smith Center for History and Democracy, Second Founding is a four-movement orchestral suite that traces their remarkable journey: from Stevens' Vermont childhood and Smith's immigrant heritage, through the turbulence of the Civil War, to the transformative passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.

Composer Michael Wege, a Lancaster resident, has created something extraordinary—a musical portrait of local heroes whose legacy continues to inspire the ongoing work of building a more perfect union.

This is more than a concert. It's history coming alive through music.

Stevens & Smith: 13-15 at the Gardner Theatre

Tickets: www.lancastersymphony.org or by calling 717.291.6440.