By Justin Smith
From sea to shining sea, the U.S. Army Band and Soldiers’ Chorus has toured worldwide, spreading patriotism into the hearts of all Americans.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the band travels thousands of miles each year. They have performed for many heads of state, including President Clinton and Queen Elizabeth. Perhaps one of their greatest achievements came when they made an appearance at the 50th Anniversary of D-Day in Europe.
This week’s review came as I expanded my musical horizons to yet another genre — the symphony.
Tuesday, July 18, the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre welcomed the band and chorus as it made a rare appearance in Utah.
They played up to their reputation in spirited fashion.
My personal favorites came as they played selections from the Steven Spielberg movie “E.T.” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” (I think I even saw a bicycle in the distance flying through the air, carrying a weird-looking little alien guy in the front basket … but I don’t know.)
From what I could hear of the chorus, they sounded fine, but there was one problem. I thought I’d get a little more juice (volume) from the choir, but they turned out to be just too quiet. They were mic’ed and everything, but they just got drowned out by the band. They could use a few more voices or, at least, a little adjusting from the sound guys because I’m sure it’s not easy to out-do a band that knows only two volumes — on and loud.
One nice perk to the show had to be the drummers. They looked tough, and they played tough. Their faces were filled with the expression “mess with the us, and we’ll beat your face in like a snare drum.” Everybody loves drummin’, especially when it is done as well as these guys did.
All in all, good show, hats off, see ya in a few years.
