The Pioneer Band of Allentown and Brandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps present \u201cAmerica250 Concert,\u201d 7 p.m. July 12, West Park, Allentown.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs part of our nation\u2019s Semiquincentennial celebration, the Pioneer Band recognizes the 250th anniversary by playing patriotic selections during all 16 of our summer concerts with this concert as the last featuring all patriotic music,\u201d says Pioneer Band of Allentown Conductor Robert Billig, Jr.<\/p>\n
\u201cAudiences will enjoy the band\u2019s performance of composer Jari Villanueva\u2019s \u2018American Revolutionary War Medley\u2019 with familiar tunes, \u2018Washington\u2019s March at the Battle of Trenton,\u2019 \u2018The Girl I Left Behind Me,\u2019 \u2018My Country \u2018Tis of Thee,\u2019 \u2018The British Grenadiers\u2019 and \u2018Yankee Doodle.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of America\u2019s Bicentennial celebration, \u201cOperation Sail 1976\u201d was the largest ever international gathering of tall sailing ships. This historic event occurred July 4, 1976, in New York City harbor for which composer Jay Chattaway wrote \u201cParade of the Tall Ships.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMorton Gould\u2019s music is unique in its Americanism,\u201d says Billig, adding, \u201cLike much of his music, \u2018American Salute\u2019 creates a brilliant fantasy using only \u2018When Johnny Comes Marching Home.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Additional selections include \u201cAt Dawn They Slept\u201d by Jay Bocook, \u201cThe Light Eternal\u201d by James Swearingen, \u201cGod Bless America\u201d by Irving Berlin and \u201cArmed Forces 72,\u201d an arrangement of U.S. service songs, by Thomas Knox.<\/p>\n
The Brandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps, led by Drum Major and Vice President Joshua Fink, perform several selections and provide insights into the uniforms and instruments of the colonial period.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur corps is honored to participate in the Pioneer Band concert at West Park as an added feature to celebrate the Semiquincentennial,\u201d says Fink, adding, \u201cFife and Drum music is the musical heritage of America and exemplifies the very spirit of our country, especially in this 250th year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The concert closes with John Philip Sousa\u2019s \u201cThe Stars and Stripes Forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat better way to honor the patriots of 1776 than to include a fife and drum corps in this concert?\u201d says Billig.<\/p>\n
\u201cGroups like this played such an important role in the war for independence and we are honored to have the Brandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps join us for this concert,\u201d Billig says.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmerica250 Concert,\u201d Pioneer Band of Allentown, Brandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps, 7 p.m. July 12, West Park, 16th and Linden streets, Allentown. Free. Information: https:\/\/www.pioneerband.com\/<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra presents \u201cValley Vivaldi,\u201d 7 p.m. July 19, Wesley Church, Bethlehem.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur second summer \u2018Valley Vivaldi\u2019 concert has something for everyone,\u201d says Music Director and Concertmaster Simon Maurer.<\/p>\n
Maurer opens the concert with two of the most expressive and difficult movements of Johann Sebastian Bach\u2019s \u201cSonata for Violin Solo No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003.\u201d The \u201cGrave\u201d is emotional and deeply expressive while the \u201cFuga\u201d showcases the virtuosity of the soloist by imposing upon the violinist a four-voice fugue typically written for keyboard.<\/p>\n
Says Maurer, \u201cThe Bach works for violin solo are without a doubt some of the greatest music ever written for us violinists and it is not often that we hear them played, even though they are now part of every audition in every music college or conservatory in the United States and abroad. Therefore, I decided to start every concert this summer with some Bach for solo violin.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sinfonia\u2019s strings and harpsichord present the rich and exuberant three-movement \u201cConcerto for Strings in D Major Op. 7 No. 1\u201d by Tomaso Albinoni, published in 1715.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first half ends with another rarely heard gem, Leo\u2019s \u2018Cello Concerto in D minor, L.60,\u2019 performed by cello soloist Noelle Casella,\u201d says Maurer.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough primarily known for his operas and sacred music, Italian composer Leonardo Leo was a trained cellist who wrote very few works for solo cello.\u201d<\/p>\n
After intermission, the concert continues with Georg Philipp Telemann\u2019s \u201cConcerto for Four Violins, TWV 40:201\u201d followed by Marcello Alessandro\u2019s popular \u201cConcerto for Oboe and Strings in D minor,\u201d featuring oboe soloist Nobuo Kitagawa. It is said that Johann Sebastian Bach so enjoyed the work that he transcribed it for solo harpsichord.<\/p>\n
The concert closes with Antonio Vivaldi\u2019s energetic \u201cConcerto for Two Violins in A minor, Op. 3 No. 8, RV 522,\u201d featuring soloists Linda Kistler and Dana Allaband. The work is one of 12 concerti in Vivaldi\u2019s collection, \u201cL\u2019estro armonico\u201d (Op.3), which catapulted his reputation internationally.<\/p>\n
\u201cValley Vivaldi,\u201d Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, 7 p.m. July 19, Wesley Church, 2540 Center St., Bethlehem. Tickets: at the door; Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra office, 1524 W. Linden St., Allentown; 610-434-7811; https:\/\/www.pasinfonia.org\/valley-vivaldi\/<\/p>\n
Auditions: Camerata Singers is holding auditions for the 2026-\u201927 season. Openings are available in all sections with a particular need for tenors and basses. Handel\u2019s \u201cMessiah\u201d with orchestra will be presented Dec. 19 and 20. Information and to schedule an audition this summer: www.pacameratasingers.org<\/p>\n
\u201cClassical View\u201d is a column about classical music concerts, conductors and performers. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY LORI PATRICKPioneer Band of Allentown Conductor Robert Billig, Jr.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY LEANN SACKSBrandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pioneer Band of Allentown and Brandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps present \u201cAmerica250 Concert,\u201d 7 p.m. July…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":240024,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[119,121,120],"class_list":["post-240023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-allentown","tag-allentown","tag-allentown-headlines","tag-allentown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240023\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}