Patriotic holiday opens with band concert
Get an early start on Fourth of July holiday festivities with a concert at Utah State University offered by the USU Alumni Band. Kick off the celebration with a concert-in-the-park-themed outdoor event that includes popular music, soloists, guest artists and plenty of patriotic marches.
Under the direction of USU faculty member Nicholas Morrison, members of the band will gather on the Quad just east of Old Main for the July 1 concert that begins at 7 p.m. The event is free and all are invited.
The concert opens with the national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.”
“This is the only concert that the band doesn’t open its program with its traditional selection – ‘Strike up the Band,'” Morrison said. “We invite people to bring their voices and join the band and sing the anthem.”
In a nod to the Sunday performance, the band will then present “When Jesus Wept” by the American composer William Schuman. The selection is part of the larger work “New England Triptych,” subtitled “Three Pieces for Orchestra After William Billings.” Billings (1744-1800) was a major figure in the history of American music. “When Jesus Wept” is the work’s second movement and is in the form of a round and uses Billings’s music in its original form.
Next on the program is “American Overture for Band” by Joseph Willcox Jenkins, a straight-ahead, lively and fast number that Morrison described as “not easy.”
“National Emblem” is a march and is based on the melody of the “Star Spangled Banner” but in a different key and in a different meter, Morrison said.
Next on the patriotic program is “Armed Forces Medley.” The number includes the anthems for all service branches. Morrison said those who have served, or family members of those who have served, will be asked to stand during the number.
Intermission Feature for the July 1 concert highlights the talents of the Lightwood Duo and the popular pairing of Mike Christiansen on guitar and Eric Nelson on clarinet. The duo will join the band in one selection as well.
Following intermission, the band will present “King Cotton,” a march by the king of marches, John Phillip Sousa. The piece was written a year before Sousa’s most famous work, “Stars and Stripes” (coming later in the program), and was premiered by Sousa and his band in Atlanta in 1895 at the Cotton States and International Exposition. After its many performances during the three-week exposition, the work enhanced the exposition’s profitability.
“During Sousa’s time, bands were commercial entities and were often used to introduce products or enhance commercial ventures,” Morrison said. “Getting Sousa to write a march would be very much like having Leonardo DiCaprio endorse your product. His stature was that big.”
“King Cotton” march went on to become one of Sousa’s most popular marches.
The band next presents “American Civil War Fantasy” by Jerry H. Bilik.
“This is a serious work and is a traditional selection for the band’s Fourth of July concert,” Morrison said. “It’s a good piece of music that was commissioned around the time of the country’s bicentennial, and it uses a lot of American musical material dating from the Civil War. It showcases, at the conclusion of the work, the triumph of the nation. The country survived a terrible period and emerged a stronger union. This piece demonstrates that very well.”
The concert concludes with the country’s official march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
“Everyone knows this wonderful piece, and it truly is one of Sousa’s best works,” Morrison said. “The band enjoys playing it, and every section in the band has a role to play. There are even three measures of oboe solo, and we feature the entire flute section in the famous piccolo part.”
Morrison thanked all the behind-the-scenes people who make the outdoor concert possible.
“Doing these outdoor concerts takes a lot of work, and I’ve met with a number of people, including electricians, scheduling personnel, the sprinkler and watering crew, parking, police and more,” Morrison said. “They all work behind the scenes to make all this possible, and the band appreciates their help.”
Morrison invites everyone to enjoy the band’s patriotic tribute and its salute to July 4.
“These concerts are fun, and the band members enjoy looking out and seeing young people in the audience,” Morrison said. “So, bring the family. Bring a picnic. Bring the dog and enjoy.”