Washington, D.C. -- “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band will participate in the 71st annual Texas Bandmasters Association Convention in San Antonio by presenting two free concerts. The Marine Band concert will take place at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 27, in the Lila Cockrell Theatre, and chamber groups from the Marine Band will perform in a recital at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 28, in room 214CD, both located in the Henry B. González Convention Center. The concerts are free; no tickets are required.
Marine Band Director Colonel Jason K. Fettig has crafted a diverse program for the Friday evening gala concert. The performance will begin with John Philip Sousa’s march, “Sabre and Spurs,” followed by Dr. Frank Ticheli’s Clarinet Concerto and the world première of Peter Boyer’s Fanfare, Hymn and Finale and. The concert will also include Percy Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy, Jonathan Leshnoff’s Starburst, and several works associated with Leonard Bernstein. The program will conclude with A Salute to the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
“Knowing that we would have a number of music educators at this concert as well as the general public, I wanted to create to create a program that had some real substance but also some diversity to it,” Colonel Fettig said. “So it was important to include music by living composers: Peter Boyer will be in attendance and Frank Ticheli, the TBA composer in residence, will actually guest conduct the Marine Band in his own composition.”
“In addition I wanted to introduce some pieces that are very familiar to the public and essential to the band community and also some works that may be less familiar to those in attendance,” he continued. “The Rózsa has fallen into obscurity to some degree but is still an amazing piece of music that deserves to be played more.”
Embedded in the program is a nod to Leonard Bernstein; the year 2018 marks the 100th year of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, so the Marine Band will honor the American icon with music which highlights Bernstein’s talent and legacy as a composer and conductor and influential figure in American music. The tribute will include I Hate Music!, a special Marine Band arrangement of his delightful song cycle; John Williams’ “For New York,” which he wrote for his friend Lenny’s 70th birthday; and Miklós Rózsa’s Theme, Variations, and Finale, Opus 13a. In 1943 Bernstein conducted the New York Philharmonic’s performance of this piece when he stepped in to conduct for the ailing Music Director Bruno Walter; this performance catapulted Bernstein into the spotlight, launching him into international fame.
Complete program
A percussion ensemble, saxophone quartet, woodwind quintet, and brass ensembles will perform a chamber concert the next day. The program will include Igor Stravinksy’s Octet; Samuel Barber’s Summer Music, Opus 31; Eugène Bozza’s Andante et Scherzo; Sir Malcolm Arnold’s Quintet, Opus 73; and Owen Clayton Condon’s Fractalia.
Complete program
TBA attendees will be able to listen to Marine Band recordings, find out about upcoming auditions, and chat with Marine Band musicians and staff throughout the convention at booth 10094 in the exhibit hall. The Henry B. González Convention Center is located at 200 East Market Street in San Antonio. For more information on the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, visit http://www.texasbandmasters.org/.