1812 Overture 2011

By Ms Adrienne M Combs (JFHQNCRMDW)August 18, 2011

1812 Overture 2011
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1812 Overture 2011
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1812 Overture 2011
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1812 Overture 2011
4 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – On August 16, The U.S. Army Concert Band, Chorus, and Herald Trumpets took to the stage at Sylvan Theater on the grounds of the Washington Monument to present the annual Overture 1812 Concert. Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, JFHQ-NCR/MDW and Command... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
1812 Overture 2011
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1812 Overture 2011
6 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The U.S. Army Concert Band, Chorus, and Herald Trumpets took to the stage at Sylvan Theater on the grounds of the Washington Monument to present the annual Overture 1812 Concert. An enthusiastic crowd enjoyed unseasonably cool temperatures and a clea... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
1812 Overture 2011
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The U.S. Army Band performed Peter I. Tchaikovsky's Overture "1812" on Aug. 16, at Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument Grounds. The event was hosted by Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, commanding general Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region and Military District of Washington.

Each year The United States Army Band performs its big summer concert that concludes with the spirited Tchaikovsky's "Overture 1812" on the slope of the Washington Monument Grounds, complete with the cannons of The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Presidential Salute Battery. A favorite among Washingtonians, the annual must-see musical extravaganza offers an enjoyable musical program of traditional band music with vocal highlights and Herald Trumpet fanfare. This performance is a highlight of the Washington, DC, outdoor music season.

The concert ended in grand fashion thanks to the Presidential Salute Battery, equipped with four three-inch, 5,775-pound, World War II vintage anti-tank guns, which fired 75mm blank shells with one-and-a-half pounds of gunpowder. A total of 23 shots were fired, including the final volley from all four cannons.

"Overture 1812" was composed for the 1880 Kremlin Square celebration honoring the Russian victory over the French Napoleon Bonaparte in 1812. Today the overture is revered among concert goers from its playful, mocking themes from the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, to the powerful finale with ringing church bells and booming cannons proclaiming victory!

Related Links:

Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region and Military District of Washingotn

The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own"