Wheaton Municipal Band welcomes Col. Graham to the podium July 19
The Wheaton Municipal Band's reputation for bringing in outstanding conductors from all across the United States continues.
On Thursday, July 19, the band welcomes Col. Lowell E. Graham, retired conductor of the United States Air Force Band, at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Park, Karlskoga and North Wheaton avenues in downtown Wheaton.
As Graham is responsible for conducting and rehearsing the Wheaton Municipal Band band this week, he also programs the evening's repertoire. If you are a fan of outstanding concert band literature, then you will thoroughly enjoy this concert.
Graham is currently the director of orchestral activities and conducting at the University of Texas in El Paso. A native of Greenly, Colorado, he conducted bands and orchestras all over the world including the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. In 2014, he was named as the president and CEO of the John Philip Sousa Foundation and is currently the president of the American Bandmasters Association. In 2006, Graham was named the "Director Honorífico" for the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Paraguay.
On July 19, Graham adds the Wheaton Municipal Band to his list of the many ensembles he has conducted. Sousa marches, orchestral transcriptions, original band literature, old "war horses," contemporary compositions, and band standards all sit on his program for the evening. Some are extremely challenging and difficult technically, as well as rhythmically, dynamically and transitionally.
The Wheaton Municipal Band only has one evening's rehearsal to prepare for a concert. Graham seems fearless in his programming when he attempts some of the finest in concert band literature. He mixes it up, starting with the "Liberty Fanfare" by John Williams. This 1986 orchestral transcription was commissioned to celebrate the centennial of the Statue of Liberty. Next up is "Poet and Peasant Overture" by Franz Von Suppe. An orchestral transcription from the operetta, which is rarely performed, the overture is a beloved standard often performed at classical pops concerts.
Also programmed for the evening is "Victory at Sea" by Robert Russell Bennett. Written for a TV documentary series about World War II, the music soundtrack consists of 24 different sections. The band performs selections from the famous soundtrack. "On the Overland Stage to El Paso" by David Hoslinger honors Graham's Texas roots. The composition honors the postal service, which used stagecoaches and traveled from San Antonio to El Paso. With plenty more, the concert is sure to please everyone.
Don't miss this exciting program. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs and a picnic and relax in Wheaton's Memorial Park, on Thursday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m., when the band welcomes Col Lowell E. Graham, retired conductor of the United States Air Force Band to the podium. For more information, go to www.wheatonmunicipalband.org.