As the days grow short and colder in the central Flint Hills, members of the 1st Infantry Division Band are busy preparing to make the C.L. Hoover Opera House merry and bright.
The Soldier band will join the Junction City Community Band for a holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19 in the multi-level performing space, located at 135 W. 7th St. in Junction City. The opera house opens at 6:30 p.m. and the seating begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free and no tickets are required. Space is limited to 400 concert-goers per performance.
"It's the time of the year that the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley can officially say 'thank you' and give back," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jeff Price, commander of the 1st Inf. Div. Band. "The neat thing about something like this is it allows us to remind people that we're also members of the community, that we live and work in the community."
Price, of Morgantown, West Virginia, said the combined bands allow for a high amount of variety in short amount of time.
"It's going to be a musical multimedia spectacular," said Spc. Lawrence Evans, a pianist with the 1st Inf. Div. Band. "You'll have the regular concert setting with our musicians on risers, and we'll also have a Santa Claus corner where Santa will read ('A Visit from St. Nicholas') while the band plays the arrangement and there will be shout-outs from deployed Soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, (1st Inf. Div.)."
Evans, originally from the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, said the concert would be a mixture of vocalists, ensembles and holiday favorites. A total of 16 members of the community band will join 36 members of the "Big Red One" band on stage.
"It's going to sound great," Evans said. "But it's very important that people know it is not ticketed this year, so to get a good seat, or to get a seat at all, show up early."
This will be the third and final holiday performance at the C.L. Hoover Opera House for Price, who will step down as band commander in January.
"The band is an important tool for the division to get out and tell the Army story," Price said. "I've been richly blessed to be a Big Red One Soldier, and this really is a very supportive community. My family … this is our home. To be able to play for the people I live and work with on a daily basis in the community, that's important to me."
During the concert, Price will introduce Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matt David from Jacksonville, Florida, who will take over as bandmaster in January.
"As Army musicians, one of the parts of our primary mission is to foster support from the community," said 1st Sgt. Terrina Anderson, clarinetist and senior noncommissioned officer of the band from Longview, Texas. "It's definitely always a good time to be able to go out and perform for the community."
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