Kristy Cummins of Vicksburg watches fireworks over Levee Street Sunday night.(Meredith Spencer The Vicksburg Post)

[7/5/04]For all those who wanted a demonstration of the rockets’ red glare, downtown Vicksburg was the place to be Sunday night.

A 20-minute fireworks spectacle accompanied by patriotic classics from the University of Southern Mississippi Holiday Orchestra was the high point of the City of Vicksburg’s Fourth of July celebration, “A Vicksburg Fourth…And All That Jazz.” Coca-Cola and Ameristar Hotel and Casino co-sponsored the event with the city.

Audience members agreed that this year’s event at City Front was the best of the three years at the venue.

“That’s a big-city fireworks show we see and I appreciate that,” said David Haworth of Vicksburg, who watched the show with his wife, Doris.

“We can see the improvement,” said James Cooley of Vicksburg who watched the show with his wife, Martha.

Barry Graham, special projects coordinator for the Office of the Mayor, said about 13,000 people attended the show. “It was much better than last year when we had about 12,000,” he said.

Volunteer coordinator Frances Koury said the event cost $60,000, with $20,000 paying for the fireworks.

Vicksburg rockers The Patrick Smith Band kicked off the evening at 7. Next, Hinds Community College instructor Walter Swan performed his rendition of “America the Beautiful” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Vicksburg native Brig. Gen. Robert Crear led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

At Grove and Washington streets, the United Way Teen Help sold refreshments. Every dollar made will fund United Way programs chosen by the teens, sponsor Susan Ivins said. Business was brisk, Ivins said. “We can’t keep up.” The group had raised over $700 at the evening’s halfway point

In keeping with the evening’s theme, the University of Southern Mississippi orchestra played a selection of jazz, including several new pieces written for the event.

“It’s the quintessential American musical form,” orchestra conductor Jay Dean told the crowd.

Tributes to Billie Holliday and Frank Sinatra highlighted the jazz program.

After Slidell, La., native Chris Cortez closed the musical show with the feverish vocalese of John Hendicks’ “Cloudburst,” Crear delivered a short speech before the orchestra played the service anthems.

Then, to the delight of the throngs of people gathered along China, Grove and Washington streets, the orchestra played the 1812 Overture as fireworks lighted the clear night sky.

Koury pronounced the evening “a wonderful success.”

“We couldn’t have been more blessed with the weather and the performers,” Koury said. “We even had a cool breeze.”