Americana Celebration Concert July 3, 2011

Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue – spectacular American music on the eve of America’s birthday! The words “Americana” conjure up images of our country, its history, and what makes it so special to each of us. We shall explore all of these concepts and more in a moving musical tribute to our great country on the eve of the July 4th holiday. The LCPC Chancel Choir and Orchestra will present a wide range of purely American music on July 3 at 7:30PM in our sanctuary.

The choir and orchestra will combine to present familiar traditional selections including Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” featuring Diane Wallace, and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” We’ll also include a tribute to all veterans in the “Armed Forces Salute” and “Hymn to the Fallen” from the movie “Saving Private Ryan.” Adding a slightly different aspect of American television and film will be a medley of the themes from every Star Trek series “Star Trek Through the Years.”

The concert will expand to Dixieland in a “Dixieland Jamboree” for orchestra. A section on religion in America will include “Swing Low, Swing Down,” a medley of gospel favorites with the choir and orchestra, and “You Raised Me Up” featuring our Associate Director of Music Worship Arts, Andrew Pratt, in the solo made famous by Josh Groban.

Two arrangements by Leroy Anderson, a favorite American composer of the 20th century, will include the trumpet section feature “Bugler’s Holiday” and a unique arrangement of “Seventy-Six Trombones,” featuring the trombone section which layers John Philip Sousa marches on top of the familiar tune from the Broadway show “The Music Man.” Rounding out the concert will be Morton Gould’s showpiece for orchestra “American Salute,” the original version of John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and the choir and orchestra in Randall Thompson’s “Testament of Freedom,” “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and Carmen Dragon’s great arrangement of “America the Beautiful.”

Our emcee, Tyler Wright, will again provide inspirational commentary and patriotic poems. Every musical selection will be familiar to all. This event presents a nearly ideal opportunity for congregation members to invite new people to our church.