This week the Marine Band will perform two concerts in Washington, D.C., featuring trumpet and mezzo-soprano solos and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Finale from Symphony No. 4 in F minor. Conducted by Assistant Director 1st Lt. Darren Lin, the concerts are sure to be light and fun and enjoyable for those who love trumpet and Broadway.

August 18 Livestream Link

The concerts begin with “The Gallant Seventh” by the March King, John Philip Sousa, and continue with American Overture for Band by Joseph Willcox Jenkins. Trumpeter/cornetist Staff Sgt. Robert Bonner will perform Jean-Baptiste Arban’s seminal trumpet solo Variations sur Le Carnaval de Venise, also known as Carnival of Venice. He first heard the piece when he was just a teenager, and this will be the first time he has performed it in concert. Carnival of Venice has always been on his “bucket list” to perform.

“Every trumpet player knows the famous Wynton Marsalis recording with the Eastman Wind Ensemble,” Bonner said. “That particular recording is the standard for any aspiring trumpet player. For me, it is a very challenging (and scary) solo, but I have definitely enjoyed learning this piece. It’s deceptively technical for how tuneful it is. Each variation on the theme presents a unique challenge for the soloist. And I think the audience will love the uplifting and playful mood of the piece. It’s a very singable tune, which is always fun, and what a privilege for me to perform it with the Marine Band!”

Along with the opening march, band overture, and trumpet solo, 1st Lt. Lin has collected positive and upbeat pieces for this program. “There are lots of memorable melodies and moments that will hopefully have audience members smiling and tapping along,” he said. And surely concertgoers will be smiling during Stephen Sondheim’s “There Won’t be Trumpets” from Anyone Can Whistle, featuring mezzo-soprano Master Sgt. Sheffield.

“Since Stephen Sondheim passed away last year, we wanted to honor his contributions to Broadway and musicals in this small way,” Sheffield said. “This arrangement is one of the first pieces ever arranged for me when I joined the Marine Band, so it’s very special to me. It’s a sweet little love song—it’s always fun to sing about dreaming of romance then falling in love with Prince Charming who sweeps you off your feet.”

“Plus, it’s fun to sing about how there won’t be trumpets when, in my opinion, we have one of the most amazing trumpet sections on the planet. And to be clear, there will be trumpets in the song,” Sheffield joked.

Also on the program, Kingfishers Catch Fire—the first John Mackey piece Lin ever performed in 2008 with Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Band. According to the composer, “a ‘kingfisher’ is a bird with beautiful, brilliantly colored feathers that look in sunlight as if they are on fire … they are extremely shy birds and are rarely seen, but when they are seen, they are undeniably beautiful. Lin explains that, “The second movement has an infectious groove and a gorgeous, lyrical melody, and perfectly captures the imagery of a Kingfisher flying out into the sunlight.”

The concert closes with Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, which holds a dear place in the Assistant Director’s heart. “I just have a lot of fond memories associated with the entire symphony as both a performer and listener,” Lin said. “The entire symphony is an incredibly emotional journey, and the finale in particular is a heart-racing ride from start to finish.”

The concert on Wednesday, Aug. 17 is free and open to the public and will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Yards Park in Washington, D.C. The concert on Thursday, Aug. 18 will take place at 7:30 p.m. in John Philip Sousa Band Hall in Washington, D.C., and requires free tickets.

Livestream

Program & Notes

For tickets: https://marineband.ticketleap.com