Ceremonial Brass wraps up first American concert tour

Published Jan. 23, 2012
By Master Sgt. Adam M. Stump
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The United States Air Force Band's Ceremonial Brass wrapped up their first American concert tour Jan. 23 by playing before Airmen, family members and retirees at the base theater here.

The performance capped off a tour that saw the band play in front of more than 13,000 people throughout Florida, including cities in and around Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, North Port and Bradenton.

The tour also included members of the band conducting educational outreach clinics with approximately 270 middle school and high school students at the Osceola County School in Kissimmee and 25 college students at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach.

"This tour has been fantastic," said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian Mann, the tour manager and a native of Waseca, Minn. "The communities of people were fantastic and there were positive attitudes every place we visited."

The chance to play in front of Airmen for the last stop on the tour was something Mann said was a perfect wrap up.

"This brings everything into perspective," Mann said. "We represent the Air Force and all Airmen, so to play in front of them is inspiring. We bring their message to the general public."

The theme of the winter tour was "American Song and Cinema." The tour featured a world premier of a new work commissioned by the band and dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen entitled "Red Tail Skirmish" by composer Bruce Yurko.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces who trained in Tuskegee, Ala. Serving during World War II in the Army Air Corps, these Airmen were subject to racial discrimination. Despite these adversities, the Tuskegee Airmen--proudly referred to as "Red Tails" or "Red Tail Angels" because of the distinctive crimson pain on the tail section of their aircraft--trained and flew with distinction, receiving the Congressional Gold Medal for valor and performance.

During the final performance at MacDill, retired Air Force Lt. Col. George Hardy, an original Tuskegee Airman, thanked the band for performing and said the concert reminded him of when he joined the service. Hardy, who served from 1943-1946 when the military was segregated and 1948-1971 when the military was integrated, said he was also thankful for seeing the Air Force through the integration process.

"When I joined in 1943, we were segregated," Hardy said. "By the time I flew my final mission in Vietnam, I was commander of a gunship unit and all the officers under me were white. I'm thankful I lived long enough to see the military integrated."

"Red Tail Skirmish" is a musical epic that depicts the tension, thrill and excitement of an aerial dogfight through a fast-paced work for the brass and percussion ensemble.

The program also featured a Glenn Miller Medley entitled "Miller Time," arranged by former Ceremonial Brass member David Bandman, a retired master sergeant. The group also played a medley of works by film composer and former Air Force Band member John Williams entitled "Epic Themes."

The origins of the Ceremonial Brass trace back to 1964 when The United States Air Force Headquarters Command Band was incorporated into The U.S. Air Force Band as a ceremonial unit. It became an all-brass and percussion ensemble in 1985 and was renamed The Ceremonial Brass.

Since those early years, it has evolved into an organization consisting of world-class brass players, percussionists and a drum major. The Ceremonial Brass represent all Airmen while standing on the tarmac for the arrival of heads of state; providing full-honors during state funerals; and, marching down Pennsylvania Avenue during presidential inaugural parades.