USAF Band of Liberty performs at 20th annual Boston Festival of Bands

  • Published
  • By SrA Mickey Ireland
  • USAF Band of Liberty
Boston, MA --  The Air Force Band of Liberty, under the direction of 1st Lieutenant David A. Alpar, recently took part in the 20th annual Boston Festival of Bands on June 7th at historic Faneuil Hall.  The festival is an all-day event that brings together community bands and wind ensembles from all over New England to celebrate the best in wind band tradition and repertoire.  Performances began at 11 am and showcased the Seacoast Wind Ensemble, the Concord Band, the Metropolitan Wind Symphony (the organizer and sponsor of the annual event), as well several others.  As always, the Band of Liberty gave the day's final performance, featuring the music of Jacques Offenbach, Leroy Anderson and Indiana composer Jim Beckel. 

One of the highlights of the Concert Band's program was the entertaining "Symphony of Fables" by Emmy Award-winning composer Julie Giroux.  Cast in five movements, it vividly portrays images and scenes from some of the most cherished fables of the Brothers Grimm, Aesop and Hans Christian Andersen.  The piece explores virtually all of the sonic capabilities of the concert band medium, from delicate and flowing solo passages to climactic and tumultuous sections featuring the power of the brass and percussion sections.  SSgt Avril Claytor (flute) and SrA Laura Kluga (trumpet) showed off their talents with solos in the second and fourth movements, respectively. 

The year 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most celebrated American composers of the 20th century, Cambridge-born Leroy Anderson.  In honor of this occasion, 1st Lt. Alpar chose to feature the clarinet section with Anderson's flashy classic "Clarinet Candy".  Clarinet section members SSgt Richard Lacroix, SSgt Michele Spinelli, SSgt Richard Hobson, SSgt Mateo Ayala-Roman, SrA Ian Tyson and SrA Mickey Ireland were up to the task, pulling off a toe-tapping rendition of this scorcher.  A Harvard graduate and WWII veteran, Anderson served as arranger and composer for the legendary Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops.  The dozens of light concert pieces that he composed, including "Blue Tango", "Sleigh Ride" and "Buglers' Holiday", have been entertaining audiences worldwide for seventy years and counting. 

Perhaps the most moving work in the afternoon program was the beloved "Meditation" from Jules Massenet's opera "Thaïs", performed by trombonist SrA George Father. Knowing that many concert-goers are only familiar with the piece in its original incarnation (solo violin and orchestra), SrA Father decided to plunge into uncharted waters by arranging this challenging work for the unique combination of solo trombone and concert band.  The result, a supreme showcase for his formidable technique and musicianship, prompted thunderous applause as the last chord resonated up through the rafters of the Great Hall.  Sadly, it was SrA Father's final performance with the Band of Liberty--he will begin a new assignment with the USAF Band of the Pacific at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska in early July.  Over the span of less than three years, SrA Father has left an indelible mark on the Band of Liberty--arranging dozens of pieces for the Concert Band, Big Band and Clarinet Quartet, performing as featured soloist on numerous occasions and serving as a meticulous librarian and copyist.  George's talent, dedication to duty and gregarious personality will be missed dearly by everyone in the Band of Liberty. 

Known as the "Cradle of Liberty", Faneuil Hall was built in 1742, destroyed by fire in 1761 and rebuilt in 1762.  It was there that colonists first gathered with the cry "no taxation without representation" in the lead-up to the Revolutionary War.  On July 4th, 1777, George Washington toasted the newly formed United States on its first birthday inside Faneuil Hall.  The Band of Liberty relishes the opportunity to perform year after year inside one of American history's most hallowed halls and looks forward to next year's performance at the 2009 Boston Festival of Bands.