The area surrounding the Palmerton Area High School auditorium this past Sunday afternoon was filled with never-before heard sounds.

For the first time, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra was invited to perform a concert in Carbon County to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of Palmerton.

The concert was the brainchild of the Palmerton Area Historical Society which felt it was important to recognize the anniversary and to maintain awareness of the unique history of Palmerton.

The society covered the costs and coordinated the musical event.

Letters of congratulations were received from the governor’s office and from other federal, state, and local dignitaries. These were included in a 16-page program.

As Music Director and Conductor Diane Wittry stepped on the podium, the orchestra began to play the opening bars of the national anthem, with the crowd joining in by singing the words.

The program had something for everyone.

From the lilting, childlike melodies of the John Williams music for the classic “E.T.” to the more robust, toe-tapping strains of Meredith Willson’s “76 Trombones” (complete with strains of Sousa’s “Stars & Stripes Forever”) the audience relished the music.

Children recognized favorites such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Aladdin” while their grandparents drifted back in time to theme from the “Rocky” movie, picturing Sylvester Stallone racing up the steps at the Philadelphia Art Museum.

No pops concert is complete without the thrilling opening music to the original 1974 classic “Star Wars!”

Fifty years ago John Williams set a new standard for Hollywood music and his themes remain timeless today. It was an appropriate end to the afternoon.

The encore started with Rossini’s quiet opening bars erupting into a rousing performance of the conclusion to his famous “William Tell Overture!” The Lone Ranger never sounded so good.

Audience members greeted Wittry and orchestra members after the performance, congratulating them on an outstanding performance.