(Seguin) — The celebration of America’s 250th anniversary begins in Seguin this week as Texas Lutheran University kicks off a musical tribute to the nation’s semi quincentennial.
Today, TLU Bands—comprised of the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds—will present Cosmopolitan America, a patriotic and celebratory concert honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The free performance marks the beginning of a year-long national commemoration recognizing two and a half centuries of American history.
Under the direction of Dr. Brett A. Richardson, Director of Bands and Baenziger Professor of Music, the evening opens with the TLU Symphonic Winds. The ensemble begins with Travis J. Weller’s Yankee Fanfare, a spirited piece based on the folk tune “Yankee Doodle.” Additional selections include An American Celebration and For Our Heroes, honoring first responders, veterans, and members of the U.S. armed forces through musical tributes featuring themes such as “Taps” and “America, the Beautiful.”
The Symphonic Winds conclude their portion of the program with Chris Ferguson’s Liberty Square March, a lively collage of Americana weaving together melodies including “Over There,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
The second half of the concert features the TLU Wind Ensemble, which opens with Fanfare Politeia by Kimberly Archer. Originally composed for the United States Marine Band and premiered at the inauguration of Joe Biden, the piece celebrates democratic ideals and the peaceful transfer of power.
The program continues with An American Overture for Band by Joseph Willcox Jenkins and Dwayne Milburn’s American Hymnsong Suite. The ensemble will also perform An American Elegy by Frank Ticheli, composed in memory of the victims of the 1999 tragedy at Columbine High School. Described by Ticheli as “above all, an expression of hope,” the piece has been performed more than 10,000 times worldwide.
The concert concludes with Cosmopolitan America, a lively quick-step march by Helen May Butler. Written for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair and later selected as the official march for Theodore Roosevelt’s presidential campaign, the work highlights Butler’s legacy as a pioneering musician often called “the Female Sousa.”
The Wind Ensemble will also take the program on a recruiting tour to area high schools, including campuses in New Braunfels and Schertz.
The concert gets underway at 7 p.m. in TLU’s Jackson Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public. Following the performance, members of Tau Beta Sigma will host a pie sale, with pies available for $15.