Clemson symphonic band to present “Sounds of America”

Published: February 29, 2012

image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Brooks Center patrons will get a sneak preview of a 2012 Olympic Games concert when the Clemson University Symphonic Band presents the “Sounds of America” Tuesday, March 6, at 8 p.m.

Directed by Mark Spede, the student symphonic band comprises the top wind and percussion musicians on campus. An ensemble will represent Clemson University at this year’s Summer Olympic Games in London.

The Symphonic Band’s concert features pieces that inspire national pride, penned by talented American composers. The program begins with the Revolutionary War anthem “Chester,” by William Schumann, and includes Frank Ticheli’s nostalgic and Southern-tinged composition “Shenandoah,” based on the timeless American folk song of the same name.

The second half of the program opens with Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” followed by one of the most notable ragtime pieces of all time, “Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin, and other quintessentially American pieces. The concert ends with “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Phillip Sousa, the National March of the United States.

Tickets for the concert, $8 for adults and $5 for students, can be purchased online, in person, or by phone. Visit www.clemson.edu/Brooks or call the Box Office at 864-656-7787 from 1 to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday, for more information.

END