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Front and Center at ACDA

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Eric Sullivan
Washington, D.C --  The auditorium is massive; nearly 1.5 million square feet. In fact, it's large enough to fit two Air Force One aircrafts side by side. There is enough seating for more than 21,000 people, and there are very few empty seats for the night's concert. More than 2,000 young choral musicians from around the country fill the stage, joining the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square under the direction of Mack Wilberg for a glorious mass choir performance. And, amidst this throng, front and center, are The United States Air Force Band's very own Singing Sergeants

This choral extravaganza marks the close of the 2015 American Choral Directors Association national conference in Salt Lake City, at which the Singers have had a strong presence, both in community relations and performance. At their booth in the conference's exhibit hall, members of the choir were able meet the attendees and share with them about the Band's mission, at the same time networking and forming relationships with educators and conductors from around the country. The Singing Sergeants also presented two full concerts at Assembly Hall in Temple Square, which were greeted by thunderous ovations from appreciative choral students, educators and aficionados. These performances featured every aspect of the Singing Sergeants' versatility, from American folk music to small popular music ensembles to new choral compositions and member arrangements.

I spoke with Capt. Joseph Hansen, officer-in-charge of the Singing Sergeants, about the performances and the importance and relevance of the group's appearance at the ACDA national conference..

Why is it important/relevant that the Singing Sergeants have a presence, both booth and performing, at the national ACDA? The Singing Sergeants are widely known for their talent and prestige in the choral world. It was interesting for me to interact with conference-goers and to observe that pretty much everyone already knew who we were! Educational outreach throughout our nation is one of our operational priorities, and as such, it's vital that teachers from around the country know that we visit their communities. Inspiring the youth of America through the arts is one of the best ways we can serve our citizens. Both the booth and our concerts help to make personal connections, so we can maximize the impact of our future travels.

What are/were the Singing Sergeants hoping to accomplish with our time there, and do you think you were successful? It was an honor to be invited to perform at the conference, particularly to be featured with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It's rare that we perform in concert halls larger than a couple thousand, but in this case it was a crowd of more than 20,000! It was a landmark performance for the sheer number of students, educators and community members that were able to see Air Force professionalism exemplified through music.

How was the experience of conducting for ACDA as compared with a typical concert? This concert series had a HUGE amount of music for the Singing Sergeants to memorize and rehearse. ACDA was truly an inspiring event, because it was the culmination of so many individual and group hours invested. With the amount of choral conductors and students in attendance, we wanted to make sure we were bringing challenging and current repertoire that would show the group's core strengths as a professional choir.

What was your favorite moment? Turning around after conducting America the Beautiful to 20,000 people was pretty amazing. However, my absolute favorite part of these concerts, or any concert, are the moments when audience members show their love for their country through singing the National Anthem. I was personally moved while conducting the crowd through the singing of the Star Spangled Banner as I saw people proudly saluting, others with hands over their hearts, all united in honoring the heritage of our great nation and its history.