Return to the Jefferson Memorial

The National Capital Band, under the direction of Bandmaster Lars-Otto Ljungholm, returned to the Jefferson Memorial for an outdoor concert. This is the third time in the current season that the band has performed at the memorial. Previous concerts included a joint concert with the Derby Central Songsters during their recent tour of the USA Southern Territory, and a moving performance on September 23, 2001. The band has established a tradition of outdoor concerts in the area of the National Mall.

Sunday, May 19 was a bright but somewhat chilly day in the Washington area. Following morning services at their various corps, the members of the National Capital Band gathered at the Jefferson Memorial, with the concert scheduled to start at 2:30 pm. The good weather brought out many people to the Mall, and a sizeable crowd gathered on the memorial's steps to listen to the band. Following a warm-up hymn tune, the band started the concert with the classic march Rosehill (Albert H. Jakeway). This was immediately followed by William Himes' arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner, which was enthuiastically received by the crowd.

The band continued with a mixture of lyric pieces and upbeat items, including I Love You, Lord (Laurie Klein, arr. Howard Davies), The Firing Line (Bruce Broughton), and Jesus Loves Me (James Anderson). A more formal note was reached with Ray Steadman-Allen's arrangement of Trumpet Tune (Purcell), with solo bits ably played by principal cornet Ian Anderson. More contrasting items followed, with the contemporary sounds of Sing-Along Psalms (Stephen Bulla) preceding a march standard, To Regions Fair (Norman Bearcroft). The march was further set off by the next item, In the Love of Jesus (William Hammond, arr. Ray Steadman-Allen), normally a cornet solo, the solo part was played by the entire solo cornet section because of the outdoor venue.

The concert concluded with Robert Redhead's suite Shout Salvation!. The central movement of this piece is based on the tune "Amazing Grace", which has particular meaning in the Southern parts of the United States. The band followed the suite with one more march, the A. W. Gullidge classic Emblem of the Army.

Source:
Brass Crest Staff Report

Posted by Webmaster 20 May 2002 12:00:00