BUTLER TWP — The “Voices of Nature” concert by the Butler County Symphony Orchestra offered three intriguingly varied musical images of our world.

The Saturday evening program at Butler Intermediate High School began with a rare treat in the form of “Dark Earth: Anthropogenic Amazon,” written by Reinaldo Moya. He was present in the audience and accepted well-deserved plaudits for his composition.

This recently composed work was written as a way to express environmental concerns about the rampant deforestation of the Amazon jungle. It opened with the entire orchestra playing wildly differing themes, giving the impression of the chaos of a dense jungle. A Latin rhythm by the percussion section penetrated the raucous sounds of birdsong and animal cries, taming them into a dance tempo, which in turn was replaced by driving industrial modality. The tone turned ominous as the jungle failed to reassert itself, fading into a minor key and dwindling to eventual silence.

Principal oboist Hilary Philipp triumphed in “Concerto for Oboe and Strings” by Ralph Vaughn Williams. In the first movement, “Rondo Pastorale,” the melody line swooped and fluttered, reminiscent of Vaughn Williams’ “Lark Ascending.” Philipp’s fluid playing of the many arpeggios was impressive.

The second movement, “Minuet and Musette,” was a quick-paced yet delicate dance, reminiscent of old English folk tunes. Philipps again created an impression of notes tiptoeing through a country dance.

Scherzo, the final movement, required extremely fast but balanced interplay between the soloist and the orchestra’s string sections. Conductor Matthew Kraemer carefully controlled the strings to allow Philipp’s beautiful grace notes to shine without being overwhelmed.

The final work of the evening was Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68,” “The Pastorale,“ which has become iconic as a depiction of a day in the country. Indeed, to anyone familiar with Walt Disney’s Fantasia, it’s nearly impossible to hear without recalling centaurs, pegasuses and other mythical beings romping to the familiar melodies. In truth, the images conjured by Disney Studios closely adhered to Beethoven’s intentions.

The symphony is comprised of five movements. The first, “Allegro ma no troppo,” is equated with the happiness of a ride in the country. The rolling melody and the brisk rhythmic tempo seem to emulate the gait of horses pulling a carriage through a forest. The tempo speeds up, reflecting the freedom of being outside of the constraints of city life.

The second movement, “Andante molto mosso,” can be interpreted as a gently flowing stream. The melody flows and eddies, building in speed and depth until it reaches a resting place surrounded by birdsong played by flute, oboe and piccolo.

The third, fourth and fifth movements are usually played as a unit and replicate the onset of a powerful thunderstorm and its eventual passage. Beginning with another bouncy travel tune, the storm is heralded by ominous timpani and increasingly frantic tempos. As the storm retreats, there is a reprise of the original travel music that soon develops into a grandiose yet satisfying finale.