Strike up the band, for a free concert in Casper. “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band will perform Sunday, October 7th, at Natrona County High School as part of its 2018 national tour. The concert is sponsored by Natrona County High School and is free and open to the public.

The band has an impressive history. The concert tour tradition was initiated in 1891 by the band's 17th director, none other than John Philip Sousa. The current Marine Band Director Col. Jason K. Fettig has stayed with Sousa's style choosing a diverse mix of programs ranging from traditional band repertoire and Sousa marches to instrumental solos and a salute to the Armed Forces.

“We always try to highlight music on our programs that celebrates the region we are visiting, whether it be marches that provide a connection or folk music that might be associated with certain areas of the country,” said Col. Fettig. “We have tremendously appreciative patrons who come to Marine Band concerts for all types of different experiences, so our programs are designed to include a great variety of music that mirrors the wonderful diversity in our national musical heritage.”

“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band Casper Concert: 

  • Sunday, October 7th, 3:00pm at Natrona County High School
  • Free tickets are available (limit four per request) by requesting tickets online at marineband.ticketleap.com/casper/.
  • Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket holders must be seated by 2:45 p.m.; non-ticket holders will be admitted at that time.

Here's more on the history, from the U.S. Marine Band:

"After Sousa left the Marine Band in 1892, “The President’s Own” made only five tours—1901, 1907, 1911, 1912, and 1915—before traveling yearly between 1920 and 1931. The band suspended its tours during the Depression years of 1932-1934, but took to the road again in 1935 and continued until 1942. During World War II, the band played many additional performances in Washington, D.C., and at the White House to boost wartime morale. The Marine Band’s national concert tours resumed in 1946 and have continued every year since.

The year 2018 marks the Marine Band’s 100th national concert tour. By the end of the tour, the Marine Band will have traveled 5,882 miles throughout the United States, performing 29 concerts in 12 states, with stops in Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania."

 

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