SEQUIM — The Sequim City Band invites the community to soar “To The Heights” with its first outdoor concert of the season 3 p.m. Sunday.
The free concert will be at the James Center For the Performing Arts, 350 N. Blake Ave. Attendees are asked to bring their own lawn chairs and dress for the weather.
Director Tyler Benedict will lead the band in what concert promoters call “a dazzling array of aeronautical adventures in music.”
“Flight of the Flutes” by James Ployhar showcases soaring tones and rapid fire fingering of the flute section. A longtime band member and flutist, Collis Massey recently died and the band is honoring his spirit and dedication with this tune.
“Come Fly With Me” by James Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn was composed in 1957 and made popular by Frank Sinatra.
Two march selections highlight the difference between composers H.L. Blankenburg and Henry Fillmore. The German composer’s “Flying Eagle March” is light and airy whereas Fillmore’s “Rolling Thunder March” is powerful and dense, band members said.
James Curnow’s piece “Where Never Lark or Eagle Flew” is based on an inspiring poem titled “High Flight” by a young American pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II.
“Music From Apollo 13” by James Horner features several tracks from the 1995 film about the aborted 1970 Apollo 13 lunar mission.
“Rocky On Broadway” features the classic movie hits “Gonna Fly Now” and “Eye of the Tiger” along with the less-known “Fight From the Heart” from the Broadway stage adaptation.
Composer Clare Grundman’s “American Folk Rhapsody” takes the listener to the mountains; namely “On Top of Old Smokey” and “Sourwood Mountain,” in a medley of four American songs.
“The Redwoods” by Rossano Galante paints a musical portrait of the majestic forests of California.
As a special treat, the trombone quartet from Port Angeles High School will present some pieces they have been preparing for competition.
Guest narrator for this concert is Henry Jones, a Sequim resident who retired to the area with his wife, Cinei, three years ago, and actively supports the community through the Strait Stamp Society, Sequim Rotary Club and the Community United Methodist Church in Port Hadlock.
For more information, see www.sequimcityband.org.
