Alumni Band Invites Families and Children to July 16 Concert

The Utah State University Summer Alumni Band takes the stage Sunday, July 16, at 7 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall for its fourth concert of the season. The band’s series of free concerts, now in its 44th year, is an annual gift from the university to the citizens of Cache Valley and its summer residents.

“It was fantastic to see so many children and young families at our July 2 concert,” said conductor Nicholas Morrison. “I hope they will also plan to come to this Sunday’s indoor concert. There will be a lot of music accessible to kids and, of course, lots of drums!”

 

The July 16 program features two percussionists — USU music student Sam Bryson and USU faculty member Dennis Griffin. Bryson will perform for the intermission feature, and Griffin, who served as director of bands at USU from 1988-1992, will conduct Procession of the Nobles by Rimsky-Korsakov.

 

Two other guests also join the band for Sunday’s performance — the father-daughter duo of Larry Smith and Monica Fronk. Professor Emeritus Smith founded the jazz program at Utah State and served as jazz director and professor of saxophone until his retirement several years ago. Daughter Monica was one of only a handful of students deemed talented enough to sing with the USU Jazz Band.

 

“If you think there was some family favoritism here, just wait until she sings,” said Morrison. “You’ll hear why she won the opportunity to sing with the bands back then, and why we’re inviting her now.”

 

Other selections on Sunday’s program include Anderson’s Bugler’s Holiday, Alfred Reed’s arrangement of Greensleeves, A Movement for Rosa by Camphouse, and several marches, including March from Symphonic Metamorphosis by Paul Hindemith. The band also performs a patriotic selection at the end of the program.

 

Made up of alumni from the USU band program for the last 40+ years, these free concerts are made possible by the band members, who donate their services.

 

“These are folks who sub with the Utah Symphony, play in theaters across the state of Utah, teach music in schools and privately and maintain their playing at a very high level,” said conductor Morrison. “Some play with the Orchestra on Temple Square or sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; others play in the Utah Festival Opera Orchestra or teach at the university level. You’d be hard-pressed to find a finer group of wind and percussion players anywhere, and I’ll guarantee that you won’t find a better one next Sunday in Logan!”

 

Sunday’s free program takes place at 7 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall on the Utah State campus.