Members of the 77th Army Band set the stage for their second holiday concert to be recorded and played virtually. The first was their Veterans Day program. More recently, the first December holiday concert was Dec. 14 with the second Dec. 21, 2020. Both will be aired on the 77th Army Band Facebook page.

Warrant Officer Richard Townes, 77th Army Band commander, said virtual concerts are the best option for bringing the traditional sounds of the holidays to the Lawton Fort Sill audience during an unconventional year.

FORT SILL, Okla., Dec. 17, 2020 — The stage is set. Musicians are at the ready. The 77th Army Band has been hard at work preparing for this holiday season with two virtual concerts.

“I know COVID-19 is on everyone’s minds, and it should be, but it’s also important to recognize our holidays are here,” said Warrant Officer Richard Townes, 77th Army Band commander. “I think keeping these traditions alive, even in an altered form for the community, is important. So, that’s what we’re doing.”

The first virtual concert aired Dec. 14  on the band’s Facebook page and can be watched anytime. The 20-minute show featured a woodwind quintet playing “The Nutcracker Suite.”

The music choice came from Townes’ own family traditions.

“Every year I take my kids to ‘The Nutcracker’ and this year we sat down and talked to them and said we just can’t do it, productions aren’t happening, it’s not the wisest thing to be in a crowd of people,” said Townes. “I thought, I bet there are a lot of people in a similar boat and why shouldn’t we deliver ‘The Nutcracker?’”

Townes hoped families can sit down and enjoy that classic set, as well as enjoy the second holiday concert Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. It will also be livestreamed on the band’s Facebook page, this time featuring a brass quintet and drummer playing the holiday classics.

Members of the band quickly rattled off their own favorite holiday tunes as they were setting the stage.

“The Nutcracker Suite” looks like the band members are in a cozy living room complete with a fireplace. In the second set, they are paying homage to the artillery with various decorations surrounded by the twinkle of Christmas trees.

The transition to an online concert was ready to go as the band performed a virtual concert in November.

“When the decision was made to go virtual for the Veterans Day program, I just couldn’t see the situation really improving all that much,” said Townes. “Rather than putting ourselves through two planning processes — a live program versus a virtual one — we said let’s make it a virtual holiday program.”

Band members have been playing with more than 6 feet between them on all sides to ensure their own safety while still delivering their skills to various audiences. This does change their norm as a chamber group typically plays closely together.

“They’re further apart now, so the communication between the instrumentalists is more reliant on their eyes,” said Townes. “We’re definitely moving forward in a way that is safe and responsible.”

The band has adjusted to new COVID standards, in a determined effort to deliver a moment of respite for those in the Lawton Fort Sill community and more.

When asked what he wanted the audience to get out of the holiday program, Townes said, “I hope they can just tune in for 20 minutes or so and just enjoy themselves. You know, forget about the cares of the world.”

Watch the holiday program on Facebook by searching 77th Army Band or go to the 77th Army Band YouTube page.