2008 Woodie Awards
Army Field Band performs for a packedudience in Activity Center
Joshua Johnson
Issue date: 2/24/06 Section: News
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The performance began with the presentation of American flag by the Embry-Riddle Army ROTC color guard as the Field Band played and the Soldiers' Chorus sang the national anthem.
The program for the night featured many diverse pieces, ranging from French operas to a tribute to American jazz.
The first song in the performance was an arrangement of the Overture from William Tell, featuring trumpet and contrabassoon solos. Midway through the piece, the band performed a dramatic transition through dynamic and tempo contrasts.
The second piece, an opera, featured Master Sergeant Joan Mercer, a member of the chorus singing in French. At the end of the opera, she proceeded to sing the Minute Waltz. As she sang, the audience was amazed to see that Mercer could maintain her speed, let along find time to breathe during her performance.
One of the selections was intended to highlight the peoples and cultures of Latin America. The arrangement began with a Caribbean theme, and quickly had the audience clapping along and dancing in their seats. The band soon transitioned into a version of the Mexican Hat Dance, followed by La Bamba.
The piece entitled Two for the First Lady of Song was written as a tribute to famous jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. Two of Fitzgerald's most famous songs were performed by Sergeant First Class Jessica Israels, with Staff Sergeant Joren Cain performing a saxophone solo. Israels and Cain both gave a spirited performance that yielded the night's first standing ovation.
The night's performance was closed with a performance of John Phillip Sousa's famous Stars and Stripes Forever, the official march of the United States. The spirited performance included woodwind and brass features and prompted the night's second standing ovation.
As an encore, the band and chorus performed God Bless America to a standing crowd. The rendition brought tears to the eyes of several veterans. A jazz quartet also performed When the Saints Go Marching In as members of the audience clapped enthusiastically.