Published: 2013
Publisher: Lecta Music Publications
Duration: 5:20
Grade: 5
Difficulty: Difficult
“Borderline” was commissioned by the Fort Smith Symphony, John Jeter, conductor and musical director, in celebration of the orchestra’s 90th anniversary. Founded in 1923, the Fort Smith Symphony is the oldest orchestra in Arkansas. Fort Smith lies on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border at the junction of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers, also known as Belle Point. The city began as a western frontier military post in 1817 and became known as the stepping off point to settling the “Wild West”. The city is named for General Thomas Smith who commanded the U.S. Army Rifle Regiment headquartered in St. Louis. Fort Smith was expanded in 1838 as part of the federal policy of removing Cherokees and Choctaws from their ancestral homelands in the Southeast and resettling the survivors in the nearby Indian Territory, now eastern Oklahoma. By 1874 Fort Smith was a bustling community of brothels, saloons and outlaws. Judge Isaac Parker was appointed by President Grant to bring law and order to the city and the Oklahoma territory. Parker became known as the “Hanging Judge” sentencing 160 people to hang over his career (1875-1896) in Fort Smith. Borderline is a vibrant musical tribute to the orchestra’s ninety years and the city it calls home.