All Feature Articles

Classical Mystery Tour Are Magical at the Nashville Symphony

by Rich and Laura Lynch

Formed in the 1960's The Beatles are still one of the most popular bands ever. During their decade together The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) had numerous number one albums and singles. They were the center of the British Invasion starting off with pop ballads that over time evolved into more complex psychedelic rock. The Fab Four would inspire countless others to become musicians or in the case of Classical Mystery Tour become The Beatles.


A fabulous foursome entertained a full house at the Nashville Symphony.

Imagine The Beatles playing in concert with a symphony orchestra. What would that have sounded like? We found out on May 06, 2017 during Classical Mystery Tour's three night engagement at The Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The four members in Classical Mystery Tour looked and sounded like The Beatles, but Classical Mystery Tour was more than just a rock concert. Their full show presented The Fab Four's songs performed and sung as they were written with a full orchestra. Founded in 1996 Classical Mystery Tour has performed with hundreds of orchestras worldwide.

It hard to believe that Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band turns 50 this year but in comparison to classical music it's still just a child but the two converged magically on Saturday night as the Nashville Symphony performed with Classical Mystery Tour whose set included quite a few tracks from that ground breaking record.

The Orchestra started off the festivities with a multi-layered "Let It Be Medley" before the "mop-top" Classical Mystery Tour strolled out to perform a number of early classics such as "Got To Get You Into My Life" backed by the horn section, "A Hard Day's Night" and "Eleanor Rigby" with the strings underscoring the sad storytelling of that #1 hit. There was some chat and humor between numbers. Mentioning that the next one was one of the most covered and famous songs ever "Paul" armed with an acoustic jokingly started playing a Johnny Cash tune before returning to the more serious "Yesterday" with the strings adding to the aching sentiments of the song.

The solo allowed the other three time to slip into the Sgt. Pepper uniforms and during "Strawberry Fields" "McCartney" had a chance to put on his blue suit and he was ready to present "Penny Lane" when the time came. In celebration of Pepper's 50th the group performed selections from the album starting with first three legendary songs along with a colorful "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite" with the orchestra effectively crafting the all-important circus sounds and of course "A Day in the Life" was a crowning moment for the polished Nashville Symphony.


After a short intermission the musicians were back with selections from the Beatles' later years. "I Am The Walrus" was wonderfully weird while "Come Together" still had fans trying to figure out the deeper meaning of the opening track from Abbey Road. Another high point was "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with "George" pondering why Eric Clapton was a no-show. "Paul" moved to the piano for "Lady Madonna", "The Long and Winding Road" - an ideal piece to perform with an orchestra and then a lively version of Paul's "Live and Let Live" from his solo career with the other "Beatles" handling backing vocals.

"John" clad in all white asked the veterans in the audience to please stand as he thanked them for protecting our peace before playing "Imagine". Bringing side two to a close Classical Mystery Tour presented part of the Abbey Road medley. The Fab Four quickly returned for a fan-engaging encore that featured "Hey Jude" and "Twist and Shout" to end the concert on a fun note.

Throughout the show we realized how much classical music was a part of The Beatles' compositions. Perhaps part of that was because their producer Sir George Martin aka "The Fifth Beatle" had a background in the genre. Thus to hear these songs with a full orchestra in a live setting was a magical experience. Also, The Beatles themselves basically stopped touring in 1966 so tunes from 1967 and beyond had not been played live by the original four although now a number of incarnations such as Classical Mystery Tour have been presenting these classics in concert for fans of all ages to enjoy.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center located in the heart of Music City is one of the finest sounding venues in Nashville. Their focus is classical music but the Nashville Symphony hosts a wide range of artists such as Classical Mystery Tour. Upcoming events include The Righteous Brothers, Harry Potter, Arlo Guthrie, A Tribute to Fitzgerald/Armstrong and Boney James.


The Schermerhorn Symphony Center in the heart of downtown Nashville.

Related Links: For more information on CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Classical Mystery Tour | Nashville Symphony | The Beatles






















.





Did you know that MCN Founder Rockin' Rich Lynch hosts some of the world's top musicians and songwriters on his regularly scheduled webcast - watch all the episodes here - and please share the links far and wide!





Do you like MCN??? Did you know that the easiest way to support this site is to BUY our founder's DEBUT ALBUM on BANDCAMP? At check out you can even throw in a bit more to really say "we appreciate you"! Thanks!!!





Billy Idol and Joan Jett Are Hot in the City of Nashville



There Goes Ryman Simon - Songwriting Legend Paul Simon's Unlikely Return to the Mother Church in Nashville



Shinedown Throw a Dance Party at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville



Shen Yun Is Divinely Inspiring at the Fisher Center in Nashville



The 41st Annual Main Street Festival Is a Fair Amount of Fun in Franklin



MJ The Musical - Nothing Bad About It at the TPAC in Nashville



The Gospel According to Carlos Is Delivered Just Off of Church Street in Nashville



Micky Dolenz Offers Up a Tasty Slice of The Monkees and So Much More in Franklin



A Whole Lot of Cats and One Lone Wolfe Draw a Big Crowd in Nashville



EVA Celebrates 10 Years of Growth and Gratitude in Nashville



THE CHOSEN Season 5 Serves Up The Last Supper to Nashvillians and Beyond



Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives Remain Instrumental to the Music Scene in Nashville and Beyond



Duane Eddy Is Fondly Remembered As the Titan Of Twang in Nashville



Hey, Hey He's a Monkee - Entertainment Legend Micky Dolenz Brings His Songs and Stories Tour to Franklin



Music City Open Weathers the Storms in Nashville to Crown 2025 Champs at Mill Ridge Park



The MCUF Is Now a Destination Ukulele Festival Coming to Bon Aqua, Tennessee in 2025



Umphrey's McGee and Friends Are Simply Super at UMBowl XI in Nashville



Zac Brown Band and Gaelic Storm Get Rowdy Before the Storm in Nashville



It Was a Great Day to Chill at the Nashville Zoo



The Nashville Kats Make a Determined Arena Football One Debut at the Downtown Municipal Auditorium





Ringo Starr - Look Up



Warren Haynes - Million Voices Whisper



Pure Prairie League - Back on Track



Dan Tyminski - Live From The Ryman



Kim Richey - Every New Beginning



Jack McKeon - Talking to Strangers



Avery Anna - Mood Swings



Dex Green - Imaginary War



Jon Muq - Flying Away



Don McLean - American Boys





• Meet Rich and Laura Lynch.

© 2025 MusicCityNashville.net
All Rights Reserved