CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Laramie County Community College is inviting the public to a free patriotic concert this Sunday, offering a musical tribute to those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Set for 3 p.m. Nov. 10, the event will take place in the Surbrugg/Prentice Auditorium, bringing the sounds of patriotism and remembrance to Cheyenne, according to a press release by LCCC.
Tribute by Local Musicians
The concert, titled “Honoring Our Veterans,” will feature the combined talents of the Cheyenne Brass Band and the LCCC Wind Ensemble. The program will blend upbeat marches with dramatic compositions that evoke the stories of battle and resilience, celebrating the service and sacrifices of veterans. According to Frank Cook, LCCC music instructor, the concert holds special meaning for the community.
“This concert features all patriotic music, much of which directly reflects the sacrifices veterans have made for our country and the advancement of democracy,” Cook said. “With so many active service members and veterans in our community, we look forward to performing this tribute.”
A Journey Through American Compositions
The Wind Ensemble will open the concert with John Williams’s “Midway March,” inspired by the film “Midway,” which depicts the historic Battle of Midway. Following this, the ensemble will play “Irving Berlin’s Songs for America,” arranged by James Swearingen, featuring four classic patriotic songs. Two marches will follow: the newly commissioned “Savannah!: A Quasi March” by Nancy Williams and John Philip Sousa’s “The Black Horse Troop,” written for the Ohio National Guard in 1924.
A special solo performance by Will Jones, a retired United States Air Force Band euphonium player, will feature “Across the Clouds,” composed by Robert Thurston for Jones during his time in Washington, D.C. The Wind Ensemble will conclude its portion with “The Washington Post March” by Sousa.
Brass Band Highlights
The Cheyenne Brass Band will begin with the National Anthem, followed by Scott Joplin’s “Pleasant Moments.” The performance will continue with Stephen Bulla’s “Suite of American Overtures,” a piece honoring the nation’s eastern states.
Audiences will hear a new arrangement of the spiritual “Deep River” by Ron Swim before the concert closes with an Armed Forces tribute medley and the enduring favorite, “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
For additional details on this event or LCCC’s music programs, contact Dr. Frank Cook at fcook@lccc.wy.edu or 307-778-1306.
