Wheaton band ends season with timeless favorites

In the last concert of the 2016 season, the Wheaton Municipal Band goes indoors to perform timeless favorites at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, in Wheaton College's Edman Chapel, Washington and Franklin streets.

The band welcomes Master Sgt. Kevin Bennear from the president's own United States Marine Band as the featured soloist.

Titled "As Time Goes By," the concert features timeless favorites. Music Director Bruce Moss invites Bennear to the stage to perform Frank Sinatra's favorites to celebrate what would have been Sinatra's 100th birthday.

As a Marine Band vocalist and concert moderator, Bennear solos at the White House state dinners and performs regularly in Washington, D.C., and across the country.

Founded in 1798, The Marine Band is America's oldest continually active professional organization, and has performed for every U.S. president since John Adams. Vocal soloists were added to the Marine Band in 1955.

Bennear is the third vocal soloist since that position was established.

In addition to Sinatra, Bennear shows off his range with a medley of songs by Mario Lanza; an Irish medley, including "Danny Boy"; "Amazing Grace"; and a set of American spirituals.

The band gets to show off as well with patriotic favorites and the overture to Berlioz's opera "Beatrice and Benedict."

The concert is free. For more information, see www.wheatonmunicipalband.org.