Blair County has a large veteran population, according to Hollidaysburg’s Director of Bands Scott Sheehan. The concert is a “great way to honor those (veterans) from central Pennsylvania who have given so much of their lives.”

Touring since 1925, the U.S. Navy Band is a flagship musical organization considered one of the top Navy bands worldwide. Alongside the Concert Band, five other Navy ensembles exist, including the Ceremonial Band, Sea Chanters chorus, Commodores jazz ensemble, Country Current country/bluegrass ensemble and the Cruisers popular music group.

The Commodores jazz ensemble visited Hollidaysburg last year, according to Sheehan. This year, however, is the district’s second time hosting the Navy Concert Band.

Running about 90 minutes, the wind ensemble will perform patriotic songs from American classics to contemporary pieces, as well as orchestral transcriptions, accompanied by a vocalist.

The U.S. Navy Band performs at the River Center in Columbus, Ga., on March 17. U.S. Navy photo by Musician 1st Class Anastasia Bonotto

Local students, particularly those involved with their school’s band and/or chorus, are strongly encouraged to attend the event, Sheehan said, as the Concert Band consists of “the best musicians across the country.”

The morning after the concert, the naval musicians will conduct a clinic with the Hollidaysburg music students, offering students techniques that can “help them become better musicians,” he said.

“Hearing live music is different than music coming from your phone or computer,” Sheehan said. “To see and hear musicians at that level is amazing.”

As the original ensemble of the Navy Band, the Concert Band has been performing public concerts and participating in high-profile events for 99 years.

Concert Band history

Musicians 1st Class Elena Yakovleva and Alyssa Primeau and Chief Musician Allison Fletcher perform with the U.S. Navy Concert Band at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on July 20, 2024. The event was the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Navy Band, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the War Memorial. U.S. Navy photo by Musician 1st Class Anastasia Bonotto

Collaboration with celebrities has become a hallmark for the Concert Band. The band was featured with Arthur Godfrey of NBC radio fame in 1927. Gene Kelly was guest star for the first episode of “The Navy Hour” radio program in 1945, which the band produced for an astounding 23 years. More recently, the band featured guest artists Tony Curtis and Gregory Peck. In 2002, the band was filmed performing “America the Beautiful”; the performance was broadcast by the NFL prior to each game during opening week.

In addition to national concert tours and an extensive local concert season, the Concert Band has been featured internationally at military tattoos and festivals in Oslo, Norway, Stockholm and Quebec City, Canada. In 1996, the band participated in the 300th anniversary of the Russian Fleet in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in the Baltic International Festival of the Fleets in Kaliningrad, Russia. Recognized as one of the finest wind ensembles in the world, the Concert Band is in constant demand by the nation’s foremost musical education organizations, such as the American Bandmasters Association and The Midwest Clinic.

If you go

What: U.S. Navy Band in concert (Concert Band)

When: 7 p.m. Feb. 19

Tickets to the performance are free, but reservation is required. Scan the QR code or call 814-695-4416 to reserve tickets.

Where: Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School

Tickets: Free, but reservation is required; scan the QR code or call 814-695-4416