Published on December 15, 2020

Music On Call Goes Virtual

Every December for the past five years, team members, patients and visitors at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital have enjoyed live holiday music in the lobby. Musicians contracted by the Owensboro Symphony would perform on a baby grand piano during the month of December, as part of Music On Call, a community engagement program.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year looks a little different. Instead of live performances by individual artists, this year two ensembles will perform at St. Stephen Cathedral and the performances will be recorded and broadcast on the hospital’s in-house television system. The unique ensembles, a french horn quartet and a viola choir, will be playing heartwarming selections of sacred holiday favorites, highlighting the beautiful acoustics of St. Stephen Cathedral. Team members, visitors and patients can enjoy this comforting holiday music throughout the month of December.

The Owensboro Symphony's Music On Call program was designed to enhance and transform lives and bring hope and comfort to people who are experiencing challenging circumstances. While this can’t be done this year in person, the show goes on - with a slight twist.

For more information, read the recent article from the Owensboro Times, below.

Owensboro Symphony continues to reimagine outreach

By The Owensboro Times

Every December for the past five years, musicians contracted by the Owensboro Symphony have performed with a baby grand piano up to twelve hours a day for staff, patients and visitors at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. This holiday tradition has been altered this year due to the visitor restrictions because of the pandemic.

The event was part of “Music On Call”, a community engagement program made possible by the Owensboro Health Health Investments Grant Program.

After the cancellation this year, officials began searching for another option to make sure the sounds of the holiday would still ring throughout the hospital.

Through a special collaboration with Owensboro Health and St. Stephen Cathedral, the Symphony was able to schedule a recording session in the cathedral.

There will be two unique ensembles performing: a french horn quartet and a viola choir. Both will be playing selections of sacred holiday favorites, highlighting the acoustics of St. Stephen Cathedral.

The performances will be recorded for the hospital to broadcast on their in-house television system throughout the month of December.

The Owensboro Symphony’s “Music On Call” program was designed to enhance and transform lives and bring hope and comfort to people who are experiencing challenging circumstances. While this can’t exactly be done this year in person, the program continues with a slight twist.

“This year it is more important than ever to find creative ways to provide music to the community — because the community can’t come to us,” said Gwyn Payne, CEO of the Owensboro Symphony. “We are thankful for this collaboration with Owensboro Health and St. Stephen Cathedral. We look forward to bringing back live performances as soon as it is safe to do so.”

About Owensboro Health

Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.