Here & There Column 1-31-12

West Point On The March

The Army's oldest active band staged an outstanding concert January 15 at West Point's Eisenhower Hall Theatre under the direction of Lt. Col. Jim Keene.
The January 15 music agenda featuring the famous West Point Band and world famous marches by Sousa & friends brought back fond memories for an old marching band drummer like myself who marched and played in high school, college, the U.S.Navy and in the old Liberty Municipal Town Band.
The United States Military Academy Band is the oldest unit at West Point and traces its roots to before the Revolutionary War. The band now has grown into the 47-member symphonic concert band of today and is comprised of professional musicians who are graduates from the most prestigious musical institutions in the country.
Recruitment and membership in this band is a highly competitive process within the structure of the United States Army.
The professionalism of this band was truly evident at the January 15 concert as the large audience was treated to the William Tell Overture, Grand March from Aida, March to the Scaffold, The Official West Point March, the Imperial March from Star Wars Trilogy and the Armed Forces Medley sing-a-long with songs representing the Coast Guard, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Army and the audience singing with the band and those in the audience standing when their branch of service song was played.
One could easily see how this band over the years has earned the reputation of being among the finest of its kind in the world with concerts performed at major venues including Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood.
The band has also appeared with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the American Symphony Orchestra.
The Jazz Knights, just one part of this band, will be performing a free concert (African-American History Month Concert) entitled "A Blue Note Retrospective) on Sunday, February 12 at 3 p.m. at the Eisenhower Hall Theatre.
This concert will feature the music of the historic Blue Note Records label.
You can go online at www.westpoint.edu.band and download your tickets.
We highly recommend attending a concert with these great musicians.

IDENTIFICATON OF ABOVE PHOTO

The United States Military West Point Band in concert January 15.
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