Bands Present Joint Service Chamber Recital

Published April 17, 2015
By Master Sgt. Brooke Emery

Washington, D.C. -- Fans of the Washington, D.C. area service bands will get a rare treat on April 28, when members of ensembles from all five premier service bands unite to present a joint service chamber recital, hosted by the U.S. Army Band as a part of the "Pershing's Own" Concert Series.

The project is the brainchild of Staff Sgt. Troy Paolantonio, fife instrumentalist and assistant drum major of The U.S. Army Old Guard Drum and Fife Corps.

"I knew the great talent we had in each of these ensembles, and I always thought it would be a fun project to organize a concert to feature some of these performers on the same show," he said. "We share so many similarities in our jobs, but don't get the chance to actually perform together. I thought this concert would help promote some camaraderie and creativity among the service bands."

When it came to selecting musicians, Paolantonio said, diversity was key. "The personnel is a little heavy with Army folks, but it was really important to me that we have each branch of service represented. We even have a member of the Coast Guard Band driving south from Connecticut to perform with this group."

The concert will feature Airman musicians Technical Sgt. Brian Wahrlich on clarinet, Techincal Sgt. Mandi Harper on voice, Master Sgt. Bryce Bunner on viola and Senior Master Sgt. Vivian Podgainy and Technical Sgt. Christine Lightner on cello. The concert, which will run approximately one hour, will highlight works by Haydn, Martinu and George Crumb, as well as a traditional fife and drum song set and a closer by Henry Mancini entitled "Pie in the Face Polka."

The Joint Service Chamber Ensemble concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Brucker Hall on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia. Visitors should enter through the Hatfield Gate, located at Second Street South and Washington Boulevard and will need to present a valid driver's license or Department of Defense identification to enter. For those wishing to view the concert via the Internet, the event will be live-streamed and archived at www.usarmyband.com. We hope to see you at this exciting collaboration with our sister services!