Tradition ruled the day (and night) as the AutoZone Sunset Symphony brought this year's Memphis in May festivities to a close Saturday.

As in years past, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra thundered with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, picnickers chowed down, the strains of "Old Man River" were heard, the Commemorative Air Force did loops and rolls over the Mississippi River, fireworks lit up the sky and the rains came down on Tom Lee Park.

Photo by Nikki Boertman

Tracy Mathews and Jamie Callahan of Forrest City, Ark., check the forecast the old-fashioned way as they camp out for the Sunset Symphony on Saturday in Tom Lee Park. True to form, the rains came but didn't wash away the spirit of the Memphis in May finale.

Photo by Nikki Boertman

Memphis Men of Harmony's performance at the Sunset Symphony was cut short by a late-afternoon downpour that left about as soon as it struck and the rest of the evening's performances carried on.

Photo by Nikki Boertman

Three Dog Night performs songs from its catalog of hits with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for the traditional Memphis in May conclusion Saturday night.

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Around 5:30 p.m., the nearly three dozen Memphis Men of Harmony were swinging with their four-part a cappella stylings when the heavens opened and cut the warblers' set short by three numbers.

The crowd, though, was seasoned.

It's Memphis.

It's May.

It rains.

Umbrellas popped up, panchos came out and when the deluge quit, people briskly dumped water off the plastic covers of their vegetable trays, passed napkins about, read books and lit up cigars.

Jim Holt, executive director of Memphis in May, calmly asserted, "Blue skies are coming, and probably sunshine," and he was more or less correct.

By the time the orchestra got under way after the air show, the crowd had expanded in typical fashion going north from the stage.

The orchestra tried out some new protective shielding to protect the players from precipitation, but partway into Wagner's Rienzi Overture, technicians stole onto the stage and took it away. There was, after all, no rain and wind noises were messing with the orchestra's sound.

After the U.S. and Chilean national anthems, conductor James Feddeck told the crowd that it was appropriate to do a tribute to James Hyter, the man who for two decades had sung "Old Man River" at the Sunset Symphony. Hyter died last month, and in honor of the many encores he performed, the orchestra played the song twice.

Before the concert, Feddeck said, "We wanted to do something because Mr. Hyter was such an incredible presence at this event. It's a great way to bring him back in spirit."

This was Feddeck's first time conducting the Sunset Symphony. And probably his last, at least for the foreseeable future. He has taken the post of assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and music director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, so Saturday night's concert was his last with the Memphis orchestra (although he will make guest appearances next season).

The hit factory known to baby boomers everywhere as Three Dog Night took over the stage with their own 3DN overture and tunes from their long run on the charts in the 1960s and '70s. Songs included: "Black and White," "Easy to be Hard" and "Old-Fashioned Love Song."

What about "Joy to the World"?

That's what encores are for.

Joy to the world

All the boys and girls, now

Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

Joy to you and me