By Laurie O’Neill – [email protected]
“Revolution” will be the theme of the Concord Band’s “Spring Pops!” concert on April 11 at the 51 Walden Performing Arts Center.
To commemorate the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord as part of Concord250 festivities, the band will perform two compositions commissioned to honor the historic events of April 19, 1775.
“Seeds of Revolution,” recently commissioned by the Lexington Bicentennial Band and composed by Daniel Lutz, director of university bands at UMass Lowell, reflects the building suspense as events unfold before the battle.
“We’re playing a great blend of compositions evoking Concord’s 250th celebration as well as contemporary tunes,” says Jim Smith of Concord, who plays the euphonium with the band. “A favorite of mine is ‘North Bridge Portrait,’” he adds, referring to the work the Concord Band commissioned.
Composer and arranger Stephen Bulla’s piece builds suspense and culminates in the fateful “shot heard round the world” at the Old North Bridge.
The program will continue with a march titled “Concord and Lexington,” written by George Briggs, former band director at Harvard University.
The April 11 concert is meant not only as a nod to the “guardians” of independence – the minutemen and Patriots – but also to the future “Guardians of the Galaxy” who will “preserve independence, trust, and justice for all,” says James O’Dell, the band’s music director.
Music from the 21st century representing the digital revolution, drawn from video games and superhero movies, will also be performed. Concord Band clarinetist Jim Dorney will conduct “Video Games Live” by Marty O’Donnell.
The Concord250 program will conclude with “Concord,” composed for the U.S. Marine Band by Clare Grundman, who incorporates traditional tunes from Colonial New England, such as “Yankee Doodle” and William Billings’ “America.”
Tickets for the 7 p.m. “Spring Pops!” at 51 Walden Performing Arts Center are $25 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under and are available at ticketstage.com/concordband.
