Twas the Eighteenth of April...

No, wait, it's not. But this ride - er, run - will get the BSO some amusing attention, and maybe a few bucks, assuming nothing unfortunate takes place:

On June 29 and 30, fourteen Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians, several of their family members, and six staff members will run the 150 miles between Symphony Hall in Boston and the Main Gate of Tanglewood in Lenox, to mark the beginning of the 2009 Tanglewood season, which opens with an all-Tchaikovsky program led by BSO Music Director James Levine on Friday, July 3. BSO bassist Todd Seeber and BSO violinist James Cooke, both longtime runners, conceived of the Run to Tanglewood.

At 2 p.m. on June 29, Todd Seeber, introduced by a brass fanfare and starter pistol, will lead several runners from the Symphony Hall Stage Door on the first leg of the run. The run will continue over 32 legs, each between 3.5 and 6 miles, and will arrive at the Tanglewood Main Gate at approximately 1:15 p.m. on June 30, in anticipation of the first BSO rehearsal at Tanglewood on July 1 and the opening night program on July 3. Each leg will be run by one to four participants. The average run pace will be 6 miles an hour or 10-minute miles.

The Lenox community will be invited to Tanglewood to cheer the runners on the final leg of the run from the Tanglewood Main Gate to the Tappan House on the Tanglewood grounds. “Being avid runners ourselves and knowing several other orchestra musicians who love running as much as we do, Todd Seeber and I thought it would be incredibly fun to organize a relay run from Symphony Hall to Tanglewood as a unique way to bring attention to the opening of the 2009 season,” said James Cooke, BSO violinist. “We’re thrilled that the staff agreed and that a few of them will be joining us for the race. With friends and family sponsoring us, we also hope to raise a few funds for the BSO.”

For further information about the run or to sponsor a runner, visit tanglewood.org/relay.