Another Tour in the Books

Last night's concert marked the end of our 2011 national concert tour, and what an ending it was! We made our way to Harrisburg, Pa., where the band boosters from Central Dauphin High School prepared an amazing home-cooked feast for us. It was delicious and the perfect way to begin an evening The welcoming support of communities has been one of the most appreciated attributes of each city.

The concert itself was a fitting send off for the band for several reasons, not least of which was having composer John Leszczynski in attendance for our last performance of his wonderful work, "Scherzo a la Britten." One of the advantages of playing Scott McAllister's "Popcopy" every night is that the band was intimately familiar with it by the final performance, able to deliver it with the most enthusiasm possible! The final performances of our soloists, Chief Musicians Luellyn Dollard and Emily Dickson, were jaw dropping and received thunderous applause from the audience. Not be outdone, Chief Musician Courtney Williams endeared himself to the crowed with his heart-stopping performance of "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

The entire tour went incredibly smoothly, with nothing to taint the experience. It was an honor to bring our music on the road to all of the the thousands of appreciative audience members. Their warm hospitality made it that much easier for the band to be away from their families and loved ones. We can't wait until next year!

Musicians 1st Class Jeremy Buckler and Dan Frazelle are members of the Concert Band.