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Presenting "Beck Hansen's Song Reader"

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Matthew Murray
  • Singing Sergeants
Washington, D.C. --  On Feb.18, members of The U.S. Air Force Band presented a truly unique Chamber Players Series concert at The Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, featuring the music of the internationally-acclaimed musical artist, Beck. This unique ensemble and program included Airmen musicians from the Singing Sergeants, Concert Band, A.F. Strings with help from the Technical Support and Production Staffs.

Beck, born Bek David Campbell, is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He first came to fame in 1994 with his hit single, "Loser." Beck subsequently released a series of critically acclaimed, award winning recordings, bridging the gap between a wide range of styles and genres, from rock, punk, country and folk, to soul, funk, hip hop and electronica.

The recent Chamber Players Series concert featured music from Beck's late 2012 release, "Beck Hansen's Song Reader," an "almost-forgotten form - twenty songs existing only as individual pieces of sheet music, never before released or recorded."

Prior to the advent of recorded sound in the mid to late nineteenth century, new music could only be popularized by the production, distribution and live performance of sheet music. "Beck Hansen's Song Reader" harkens back to that tradition, providing only melody, harmony and lyrics to the performers, leaving vast space for wide-ranging interpretation.

Last year, Brett William Dietz, Louisiana State University Professor of Percussion, arranged "Beck Hansen's Song Reader" for an ensemble including vocals, piano, violin, cello, bass, drum set and percussion, premiering it with the contemporary classical collective, New Music Raleigh, at the King's Barcade in Raleigh, N.C. The Band's ensemble used Dietz's arrangement as a baseline, adapting his arrangements to a slightly different ensemble and adding instruments to it, including guitar, mandolin, ukulele and banjo.

The U.S. Air Force Band's Chamber Players Series provides free opportunities for the public to experience the Air Force's high level of professionalism through concerts featuring America's top Airmen musicians.

Coming soon in the Chamber Players Series:

Sunday, March 2
Women's Chamber Ensemble, performing in honor of the Year of the Military Woman
1 p.m. at the Women's Service Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

Thursday, March 6
The Airmen of Note Jazz Quartet
8 p.m. at the Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Alexandria, Va.

Thursday, March 13
An Evening of Music for String Quartet
7:30 p.m. at Montgomery College, 51 Mannakee Street, Rockville, Md.

Thursday, March 13
Music for Mixed Chamber Wind Ensembles presented by USAF Concert Band small ensembles
8p.m. at the Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Alexandria, Va.

Thursday, March 20
The Air Force Strings present Music for String Quartet
8p.m. at the Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Alexandria, Va.

Thursday, March 27
Virtuosic Solo Performers from the U.S. Air Force Concert Band
8 p.m. at the Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Alexandria, Va.