Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the playing of our national anthem.

Good evening.

My name is Dave Westberry.

You may recognize me as the voice of the Marching Chiefs, but tonight it is my pleasur to serve as the voice of the FSU Wind Ensemble for this very special concert celebrating the United States semiquincentennial.

That is, of course, the 250th anniversary of our country's Declaration of Independence.

We've got some special music planned, including patriotic favorites as well as some familiar music from some of the more iconic composers.

We've also got a lot of special guests, so it's going to be a very exciting evening.

We start with Morton Gould's American Salute, written in 1942, which constructed entirely on the Civil War era tun When Johnny Comes Marching Home.

It's my pleasure to present the Florida State University Wind Ensemble and American Salute.

Next up is Chester Overture, which is based on a hymn tune by William Billings, first published in 1778 and widely sung throughout the American colonies during the Revolutionary War.

Please welcome back to the podium Dr.

Patrick Dunnigan.

And this is Chester Overture.

Before we go any further, we'd like to take a moment to recogniz and thank those who have served or are currently serving in one of the branches of America's fighting forces.

With this medley by FSU alum Bob Thurston.

So, by way of tradition, if you are a military veteran or a current member of our military or a family member of our military please rise and be recognized.

When your branch is performed.

This is our Armed Services Medley.

The Army.

The Marines.

The Navy.

The Coast Guard The Space Force.

The Air Force.

Now we would like to present familiar selections from three of America's most iconic composers.

First, The Entertainer by th king of ragtime, Scott Joplin.

Then Somewhere from West Side Story by the legendary Leonard Bernstein.

Finally, we'll close the first half of tonight's performance with the Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa.

After Stars and Stripes, we'll take a brief intermission.

Good evening.

My name is Patrick Dunnigan, professor of music in the Florida State University College of Music and conductor of the University Wind Ensemble.

I hope you have enjoyed th first half of tonight's concert, which is a celebration of America's Semiquincentennial.

Also known as the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

We have featured some of America's preeminent composers.

And you already heard musi by John Williams, Morton Gould, William Schumann, Michael Cayman, Leonard Bernstein, Scott Joplin, and of course, we closed the first half with Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa.

I'd like to not that the Armed Services Medley, which recognize all of the branches of our armed services, was arranged for tonight's concert by FSU alum Bob Thurston.

The second half of tonight's program will feature some very special guests and some music that is rarely performed.

We opened the second half with Variations on America by Charles Ives.

This piece was originally written for the organ, and is considered one of the most technically challenging pieces in the organ repertoire.

It was transcribed for orchestra by William Schumann, and then later re-transcribed for wind ensemble.

Then we will perform Lincoln Portrait by Aaron Copland, which was originally written for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and features narration.

Our narrato tonight will be Professor David Okerlund, professor of voice in the College of Music.

This will be followed by John Williams composition entitled With Malice Toward None, which has been taken from the soundtrack to Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.

The piece has become quite the trumpet showpiece, having first been performed and recorded by Chris Martin and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Tonight's soloist will be Noah Solomon, a master's in brass performance student in the College of Music.

Then a very, very special, very rare performance of Song of Democracy by Howard Hanson.

Hanson composed Song of Democracy for the 100th anniversary of th National Education Association and the 50th anniversary of the Music Educators National Conference.

Our featured performers for this piece will be the University Singers, under the direction of my friend and colleague, Dr.

Kevin Fenton.

The text for Song of Democracy has been extracted from poems by Walt Whitman.

The first part is a reflection by an old gentleman as he reminisces about his school days.

The second part, Whitman compares the United States of America to the ship of democracy, holding all of history and optimism for the future as the standard bearer for democracy around the world.

We will close the program with Carmen Dragon's stunning setting of America the Beautiful.

I hope you enjoy the secon half of the concert, and I hope tonight's program has helped you kick off your own America 250 celebration with some of America's most iconic performers.

Thanks for watching and enjoy the second half.

Aaron Copland composed Lincoln Portrait in 1942 for the Symphon Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

It has become one of Copeland's most popular works.

Tonight, we are please to have serving as our narrator, Doctor David Okerlund, professor of voice in the College of Music.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Lincoln Portrait.

Fellow citizens.

We cannot escape history.

That is what he said.

That is what Abraham Lincoln said.

Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.

We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves.

No personal significance or insignificanc can spare one or another of us.

The fiery trial throug which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation.

We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility.

He was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana.

And lived in Illinois.

And this is what he said.

This is what Abe Lincoln said.

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.

The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with occasion, as our case is new.

So we must think anew and act anew.

We must disenthrall ourselves.

And then we shall save our country.

When standing erect.

He was six feet four inches tall.

And this is what he said.

He said it is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong throughout the world.

It is the same spirit that says, you toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it.

No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race.

It is the same tyrannical principle.

Lincoln was a quiet man.

Abe Lincoln was a quiet and melancholy man.

But when he spoke of democracy, this is what he said.

He said, as I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master.

This expresses my idea of democracy.

Whatever differs from this to the extent of the difference is no democracy.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of these United States.

Is everlasting in the memory of his countrymen.

For on the battleground at Gettysburg.

This is what he said.

He said that from these honored dead, we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.

That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, and that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people and for the people shall not perish from this earth.

John William composed With Malice Toward None as part of a soundtrack for Steven Spielberg's 2012 motion picture Lincoln.

The work has become a highly respected and frequently performed showpiec for trumpeters around the world.

Our soloist tonight is Noah Solomon, who is completing a master's in Brass Performance degree this semester.

Please enjoy.

With Malice Toward None.

Hey, everybody!

Enjoying all this awesome music?

My goodness.

Yeah.

While the, University Singers are coming on stage, I'm going to take a moment here.

We always recognize our graduating, or student teaching, individuals.

And we have three that we'd like to give a shout out to playing their last, official school yea concert.

In the tuba section, Xavier Gauthier.

He's a music BA from Port Charlotte, Florida, and his future plans are to get my masters in performance at The University of North Texas.

In the French horn section, Clare Ottesen.

She's also a music BA from Niceville, Florida.

And, she's going to law school.

Wow.

SMU.

SMU school of law.

Congratulations.

That's awesome.

Yes.

And.

Not graduating, but interning in the fall.

And so therefore, this is her last concert as well.

In the oboe section Loanne Masson.

She's an instrumental music education major from Viera, Florida.

She'll be interning at Creekside High School and, she says after graduating, I plan to become a high school band director and pursue a collegiate career in the future.

And Loann has been my principal oboe for 10, 20 semesters, something like that.

A lot, a lot of semesters.

Yeah.

Wow.

Hand for Loanne, everybody.

This was a really special semester for these young men and women in February performed, a tour through Florida.

They did five concerts in four days and performed at a prestigious CBDNA regional conference in Tampa.

And then we put together this concert.

They have just, they're amazing.

They work, so hard.

And never complained.

And, such talent.

It's been an honor and a privilege for me, to wave that little white stick in front of them.

It's it's it's truly been a semester I'm never going to forget.

I've got to do a couple of quick thank yous.

You'll see.

We now have The University Singers on stage.

Yes.

Gotta.

Gotta thank my colleague, Kevin Fenton, the director of University Singers.

We've been talking about doing this next piece for a long time and we finally made it happen.

I want to thank David Okerlund for that beautiful job he did on, Lincoln Portrait.

My colleague.

Yeah.

Another hand for Doctor Okurland My, band orchestra, office suite mates, Rodney Dorsey, David Plack, Devin Moore, Alex Jiménez.

For constantly supporting me and putting up with the bad jokes.

Dean Todd Queen, who is here tonight.

Everybody say hello to the Dean.

There he is.

For letting us go on tour and for being supportive of this program tonight.

The reason all of our band and orchestras and choirs sound so good is becaus of our amazing applied faculty.

And I kno some of them are here tonight.

I'm not going to embarrass myself by trying to recognize them all.

Got to thank our band TAs, terrific staff of, future college directors, especially Doctor Andy Dubbert and Doctor Drew.

Hardy-Moore.

Yes.

Hardy-Moore.

Those two guys started the semester, not doctors.

And now they are.

So there you have it.

And of course, I have to thank the one and only Chelsea Blomberg, who holds everything together in the band orchestra office.

So many moving parts in this concert tonight.

Noah Solomon, who just played that beautiful trumpet solo.

My friend Dave Westbury for being our announcer.

The rope drum ensemble.

I'm sure you noticed the rope drums, kind of a new thing here.

Austin Pelella coordinates that.

And of course, the amazing Ruby Diamond staff.

Thank you, everybody, for being here tonight.

And we hope you enjoyed it.

Howard Hanson was an American composer and educator who served as the director of the Eastman School of Music for 40 years.

He composed Song of Democracy in 1957 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Education Association and the 50th anniversary of the Musi Educators National Conference.

The text is extracte from two poems by Walt Whitman.

An Old Man's Thought of School, written in 1874.

And Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood.

Written in 1872.

This piece is rarely performed, and we are proud to have joining us the University Singers, under the direction of Doctor Kevin Fenton.

And now Song of Democracy.

An old man's thoughts of school An old man's gathering youthful memories and blooms that youth itself cannot.

Now only do I know You, O fair auroral skies Now only do I know You, O morning dew upon the grass!

O morning dew upon the grass!

And these I see, these sparkling eyes These stores of mystic meaning, these young lives, Building, equipping like a fleet of ships immortal ships, Building building equipping like a fleet of ships immortal ships, Building building equipping like a fleet of ships Soon to sail out over the measureless seas, Soon to sail out over the seas On the soul's voyage.

Ah Ah Ahh Ahh Only a lot of boys and girls?

Only the tiresome spelling, writing, ciphering classes?

Only a public school?

Ah more, infinitely more.

And you America, America,America, Cast you the real reckoning for your present?

the lights and shadows of your future, good or evil?

To girlhood, boyhood look, the teacher and the school.

Sail, Sail thy best, ship of Democracy, Of value is thy freight, 'tis not the present only, The Past is also stored in thee Sail, Sail thy best, ship of Democracy, Of value is thy freight, 'tis not the present only, The Past is also stored in thee Thou holdest not the venture of thyself alone, not of thy Western continent alone.

Earth's resume entire floats on thy keel, O ship, is steadied by thy spars, With thee Time voyages in trust, the anteceden nations sink or swim with thee.

With all their ancient struggles epics, wars, thou bear'st the other continents, Theirs, theirs as much as thine, the destination-port triumphant; Steer then with good strong hand and wary eye O helmsman thou carriest great companions, Steer O helmsman, Venerable priestly Asia sails this day with thee, And royal feudal Europe sails with thee.

with thee.

Sail, Sail thy best, ship of Democracy, Of value is thy freight, 'tis not the present only, The Past is also stored in thee Sail, Sail thy best, ship of Democracy, Of value is thy freight, Ah Ah Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Sing!

On behalf of the members of the Wind Ensemble, we thank you for attending tonight's celebration of our nation's semiquincentennial We're going to close our program tonight with Carmen Dragon's stunning arrangement of America the Beautiful.

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!

America!

America!

God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!

America, America America