Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"August 30, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
August
30, 2002
WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Two-time Grammy Award winner Sylvia McNair will sing Irving Berlin’s God Bless America with the U.S. Military Academy Concert Band Saturday at the annual "Music under the Stars" finale, the 1812 Overture Concert.
It will also be the final concert for trumpeter and Band Sgt. Maj. John Sartoris and oboist Sgt. Maj. Joël Evans.
The Hellcats will sound Retreat at 6 p.m., the Jazz Knights will play big-band music at 6:30 p.m. and the Concert Band program begins at 8 p.m. at the Trophy Point Amphitheatre. The climax of the evening will be Peter Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with cannon and fireworks.
After the Retreat ceremony, the Hellcats will open the concert with a field music demonstration. This will be the final Trophy Point concert for the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Hellcats and bugler Sgt. Maj. David Brzywczy and drummer Sgt. Maj. Arthur Himmelburger.
Count Basie’s Jumpin’ at the Woodside and Sgt. Maj. Jim Perry’s Fish Sticks will open the Jazz Knights’ portion of the night under the direction of Chief Warrant Officer Wayne Hester.
The Knights will showcase trombonist Sgt. 1st Class Harvey Tibbs as he performs O Sole Mio, Staff Sgt. Joseph Gross on trumpet will play Benny Golson’s I Remember Clifford and Staff Sgt. Derrick James will improvise Angel Eyes on alto saxophone.
Lt. Col. Thomas Rotondi, Jr. will conduct the Concert Band in Morton Gould’s American Salute, based on the Civil War era song When Johnny Comes Marching Home. Sylvia McNair, will sing Rodgers and Hart favorites: My Funny Valentine; Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered; Falling in Love and The Most Beautiful Girl in the World. McNair will also perform An American Anthem, composed by Gene Scheer, and America, the Beautiful.
This concert will mark the final performance of Sartoris. He joined the unit in 1972 and has been the principal trumpet of the Concert Band for 26 years. Sartoris has risen through the ranks as trumpet section leader, brass and percussion group leader and as the band’s top non-commissioned officer, Band Sergeant Major. The Triumphant Fanfares and Processionals, by Captain Dwayne Milburn, will be premiered at the concert, and was composed in dedication to Sartoris.
Evans has been an oboist in the Concert Band for more than 27 years. He has been a featured soloist with the organization more than 100 times, including a solo performance on the Bicentennial Carnegie Hall Concert, and has served as principal oboist, sectional leader and woodwind group leader.
Evans has been innovative in increasing the educational outreach of the Military Academy Band to the local students of the Hudson Valley. He will be featured one final time, performing James Kessler’s Gaelic Rondo.
The Hellcats and Concert Band will combine to perform Philip Egner’s Official West Point March. The concert will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, including cannon fire by the Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1/1 Infantry Battalion and fireworks.
Clinton, Kosciuszko, Doubleday and the tennis court parking lots will be available for the public. Parking will also be allowed along Cullum Road in front of Lincoln Hall, Cullum Hall and the West Point Club. Handicap parking will be available in the Clinton Field parking lot.
Thayer Roof is open only for people attending events at the West Point Club and special passes are needed to park there.
Attendees should allow extra travel time for the 100 percent vehicle and photo I.D. inspection at Stony Lonesome, Thayer and Washington gates. Due to changing security requirements at West Point, call the academy Band’s hotline at 845-938-2617 or check www.usma.edu/special before leaving for the concert.