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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 28, 2018)
JUNE 28, 2018 // 7 Free Symphonic Band concert reminds us: ‘United We Stand’ COURTESY 234TH ARMY BAND The 234th Army Band Army bands unite for special Astoria concert ASTORIA — “Oregon’s Own” 234th Army Band’s “Empire Builders” Concert Band, in conjunction with “Hawaii’s Own” 111th Army Band, will perform a free public concert at As- toria High School, 3 p.m. Saturday, July 7. Chief Warrant Officers Ashley Alexander Curtis Hiyane conducts an excit- ing program featuring the music of Leonard Bern- stein, John Williams and Steven Reineke, as well as vocal selections from “Moana,” “The Greatest Showman,” the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” mili- tary marches and patriotic selections. “Oregon’s Own” 234th Army Band is a 40-mem- ber unit of the Oregon National Guard based in Clackamas. The band performs as a full concert band as well as several smaller ensembles for mili- tary and civilian audiences throughout Oregon and beyond. Organized in 1919, the band was inducted into federal service in 1940 and participated in the Luzon, New Guinea and Southern Philippine Campaigns during World War II, earn- ing the Philippine Presi- dential Unit Citation. The band was designated the 234th Army Band in 1947. Members of the band hail from Oregon and Washington and meet several times monthly to rehearse and complete military training. The band is led by Chief Warrant Officer Ashley Alexander and 1st Sgt. Tasha Cruz. For more information, or to request the 234th Army Band for a perfor- mance, contact SFC Josh Yost at joshua.c.yost.mil@ mail.mil or 503-683-5423. You can also find the band online at facebook. com/234tharmyband. More Astoria-area performances • 3 p.m. Sunday, July 8: “General Dischord” and “Clos du Vent,” a free pub- lic performance, Birken- feld Theater, Clatskanie. • 4 p.m. Sunday, July 8: “45 Away” and “Na Koa,” Long Beach Summer Festi- val, main stage at Veterans’ Park, Long Beach, Wash. ASTORIA — Celebrate America’s birthday with the North Coast Symphonic Band at a free concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, in “Astoria’s living room,” the Liberty Theatre, 1203 Commercial St. Conductor and musi- cal director Dave Becker has planned an evening of all-American music. The guest clarinet soloist is Jennifer Crockett, executive director of the Liberty, and the vocalist for the evening is Bob Walters of Battle Ground, Wash. Clatsop Post 12 of the American Legion will pres- ent the colors and service flags in tribute to those who have served their country in the military. Jeff Daly will present a special video finale with drone footage by Michael Angiletta Will to accompany the Stars and Stripes. The theme of the concert is “United We Stand.” The first three numbers on the program are the “Star Spangled Banner,” “An American Fanfare” and “A Very American Overture.” The program continues with selections by American composers such as Gersh- win, Bernstein and Sousa. COURTESY NORTH COAST SYMPHONIC BAND The North Coast Symphonic Band at the Liberty Theatre in July 2017 Several selections are regional, such as “The Red- woods” and “...and the ante- lope play” with elements of the American West. Crock- ett will be featured on a selection by John Williams — “Viktor’s Tale” from the movie “The Terminal.” Vo- calist Bob Walters will sing “America, the Beautiful” and lead the sing-along of the service hymns and “God Bless America.” Come early for a concert prelude at 6:30 p.m. by Mea Culpa Bassoons. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. This concert concludes the 2017-18 season of the North Coast Symphonic Band, but the band will return in the fall with Dave Becker continuing as musi- cal director and conductor, and all concerts performed at the Liberty. The band rehearses at the Performing Arts Cen- ter. Interested musicians should contact personnel director Lee Stromquist at encore1@charter.net or call 503-861-1328 to see if po- sitions are open. Musicians should play at the advanced high school level or better and own their own instru- ments. For more information, visit northcoastsymphon- icband.org, follow North Coast Symphonic Band on Facebook, email ncsband@ charter.net or call 503-325- 2431. Big-time trumpeter performs for his hometown ASTORIA — KALA presents trumpeter Mark Berney in concert 8 p.m. Friday, July 6. Tickets are $15 and available in ad- vance at libertyastoria.org. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Native Astorian Mark Berney took up the trum- pet at a young age and is now a career musician and educator. KALA welcomes Berney in his first featured hometown appearance. The repertoire for the evening will be a tribute to Louis Armstrong. Ber- ney’s former Astoria High School band instructor Lee Stromquist, a longtime coastal musician, plays piano, and string-bass pro, Joey Altruda, complete the trio. Berney resides on the East Coast and is hailed as one of New England’s finest and most musi- cally diverse trumpeters performing in a range of musical styles, including jazz, rock, ska, klezmer and classical. He has performed with Aretha Franklin and toured with Grammy nominee Mighty Sam McClain, Chandler Travis Phil- harmonic and performed at Jamaica’s first blues festival with Toni Lynn Washington in 2002. He’s also toured with violinist Itzhak Perlman, collab- orated with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, appeared on CBS, Fox and PBS, and performed con- certs in such prestigious venues as the Lincoln Cen- ter, Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall. Join friends, family, jazz lovers and Berney’s parents — longtime As- toria residents Christina and Bruce Berney — and welcome him to the KALA stage for a terrific night of jazz trumpet. There will be a full bar. KALA is located at 1017 Marine Drive. For more information, call 503-338-4878. COURTESY KALA Trumpeter Mark Berney
