FLORENCE – For the first time in 10 years, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band will return to Florence as part of its National Concert Tour.
The band will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Norton Auditorium at the University of North Alabama.
The Marine Band has carried its cross-country concert tradition to audiences nationwide since 1891.
Next month, it will embark on its 105th concert tour, performing 28 concerts in 30 days across Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
“We are incredibly excited to continue the tradition of our national concert tour,” Marine Band Director Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin said. “Musicians of the band are more eager than ever to share their musical talents with audiences live and in-person on this year’s tour.”
Nowlin has programmed selections in the style of the band’s 17th director, John Philip Sousa, who launched the national concert tradition in 1891. Concertgoers can expect a mix of traditional band repertoire, Sousa marches, contemporary compositions, vocal and instrumental solos, and a patriotic salute to the Armed Forces.
“We have tremendously appreciative patrons who come to Marine Band concerts for all types of different experiences, so our programs are designed to include a great variety of music that mirrors the wonderful diversity in our national musical heritage,” Nowlin said.
Free tickets (limit four per request) are available at www.marineband.marines.mil/Tour. Seating is general admission, and ticket holders must be seated by 7:15 p.m.; remaining seats will be released to the standby line at that time.
The Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Founded in 1798, it has performed for every president since John Adams.
Known as “The President’s Own” since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the band’s mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
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