U.S. Air Force Band celebrates Minnesota and U.S. in patriotic Minneapolis concert

The U.S. Air Force Band and its official choir, the Singing Sergeants, enthralled a packed Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on April 11 with a patriotic concert that paid tribute not only to the United States but to Minnesota, too. YourClassical MPR was there to record it.

The concert featured several works to celebrate America’s heritage, including the majestic national anthem and “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the reverent “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord” and “God Bless America,” and the flag-waving John Philip Sousa classic “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

But the program also skewed closer to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

A highlight for the Minnesota audience was March of 10,000 Lakes, which was composed by the band’s arranger, Master Sgt. Tadd Russo, as “a musical token of appreciation for hosting us.” The three-minute march features at least 20 musical quotes hidden within it, including the fight songs of several Minnesota universities, theme music from the movie Fargo and the TV show The Golden Girls, and songs by Minnesota artists such as Prince, Bob Dylan and the Andrews Sisters. In a further delight for the local crowd, the piece was guest-conducted by Emily Threinen, director of bands at the University of Minnesota.

The university’s School of Music, which hosted a workshop earlier that day with the U.S. Air Force Band, also figured in the concert. Student musicians subbed in for some Air Force regulars on Kenneth Alford’s Colonel Bogey, which was made famous by the 1957 film The Bridge on the River Kwai. The audience even got in on the music-making with the band inviting everyone to whistle along during the march’s familiar refrain.

Showstoppers included Ernesto Lecuona’s Malagueña, which featured the soloistic virtuosity of the band’s trombone section, and a 25-minute tribute by the band and Singing Sergeants to the music of Elton John, Paul Simon and Billy Joel.

Listen now to the concert using the player above. The audio preserves all of the program’s music, but spoken segments between numbers have been edited out.

Program

U.S. Air Force Band
Singing Sergeants *
Col. Don Schofield and Capt. David Regner, conductors
Emily Threinen, guest conductor **
Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Nudell, Technical Sgt. James Layfield, Technical Sgt. David González Jr. and Senior Master Sgt. Jay Heltzer, trombone ***
Guest musicians from the University of Minnesota ****

Francis Scott Key/John Stafford Smith: “The Star-Spangled Banner” *

Leonard Bernstein (arr. Walter Beeler): Overture to Candide

Master Sgt. Tadd Russo: March of 10,000 Lakes **

Ernesto Lecuona (arr. Jerry Ascione): Malagueña ***

Spiritual (arr. Moses Hogan): “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord” *

Dmitri Shostakovich (arr. R. Mark Rogers): Finale from Symphony No. 5

Julia Ward Howe/William Steffe (arr. Chief Master Sgt. Floyd Werle): “Battle Hymn of the Republic” *

Kenneth Alford: Colonel Bogey ****

arr. Senior Master Sgt. Robert Thurston: Three of the Best, a salute to the music of Elton John, Paul Simon and Billy Joel *

Irving Berlin (arr. Chief Master Sgt. Michael Davis): “God Bless America” *

Chief Master Sgt. Floyd Werle (arr. Master Sgt. John Romano): Armed Forces Medley *

John Philip Sousa: The Stars and Stripes Forever