United States Military Academy Band To Perform Free Concert

Bushkill, PA. —- The United States Military Academy Band — the famous parade and concert band of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. - will offer a free concert at the Mountain Laurel Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, July 29 at 8 p.m. Parking is $5 per vehicle, and seating is reserved, on a first-come, first-served basis.

The U.S. Army’s oldest active band, the West Point Band traces its roots back to the fife-and-drum bands of George Washington’s troops during the Revolutionary War. With the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy in 1802 came the demand for a permanent band that would drill the cadets and provide an audible order to their duty day. In 1817 the ensemble was named the “West Point Band” and had moved beyond fifes and drums to perform on a full range of instruments, which included two bassoons, Royal Kent bugles, a tenor bugle, ten clarinets, three French horns, a serpent (an early bass horn), eight flutes, two trumpets, and a bass drum. In 1866, following the Civil War, the ensemble received the title “United States Military Academy Band,” but forever after would still be referred to informally as the West Point Band.

Today’s band consists of four components: the Concert Band, the Hellcats (the drum and bugle field music unit), the Jazz Knights, and the Support Staff. These combine to form the Marching Band. The unit fulfills all the official musical requirements of the academy, including military and patriotic ceremonies, public concerts, sporting events and radio and television broadcasts, as well as social activities for the Corps of Cadets and the West Point community. The soldier-musicians of this organization are recruited by the Army and selected through a competitive audition process especially for service in the band. They are chosen from among a cross-section of the nation’s finest music schools and conservatories.

As the premier musical representative of the U.S. Army, the band has appeared at many historical events. It performed at the dedication of the Erie Canal; at the Chicago and New York World’s Fairs; and for the funerals of Ulysses S. Grant and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In conjunction with the 1952 academy sesquicentennial, the band sought after leading contemporary composers to contribute works evocative of West Point. The resulting musical gifts from such celebrated musicians as Morton Gould, Darius Milhaud, William Grant Still and Roy Harris soon became a vital part of the international wind band repertoire. Today, the band’s concerts, parades and events continue to attract thousands of visitors to the U.S. Military Academy.

Mountain Laurel Center is a state-of-the-art nonprofit performing arts venue located in the beautiful Pocono Mountains. It is the home of the Tom Ridge Pavilion, with 2,500 covered seats, and offers room under the stars for up to 6,000 more on its comfortable lawn. The volunteer Board of Directors and CEO Richard T. Bryant are dedicated to serving the region by providing world-class artists and entertainers through an ongoing series of performances and educational programming. For additional information about the Mountain Laurel Center, please call 570-426-2080 or visit www.mountainlaurelcenter.com.

THE UNITED STATE MILITARY ACADEMY BAND PERFORMANCE PROGRAM:

U.S. Military Academy Concert Band
LTC Timothy Holtan, Conductor

NATIONAL ANTHEM

FLOURISH FOR WIND - Ralph Vaughn Williams

CROWN IMPERIAL - William Walton

ARMY OF THE NILE - Kenneth J. Alford

FANDANGO - Joseph Turrin

SSG Derek Lance, trumpet soloist
SSG Phil Stehly, trombone soloist

NIMROD FROM “ENIGMA VARIATIONS” - Edward Elgar

ART IS CALLING FOR ME - Victor Herbert

SFC MaryKay Messenger, vocal soloist

THE BRITISH EIGHTH - Zo Elliott

WATER MUSIC SUITE - G.F. Handel
I. ALLEGRO
II. AIR
V. FINALE

TRIBUTE TO SIR ANDREW - Andrew Lloyd Webber
SFC Messenger, soloist

ARMED FORCES MEDLEY

PINEAPPLE POLL - Arthur Sullivan
I. OPENING NUMBER
III. POLL’S DANCE