Riga, Latvia -- U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus hits the road again, this time for its spring concert series titled, "United We Stand" #StrongEurope Tour of the Baltics from April 22 -28.
Kicking off their Spring Tour in Tallinn, Estonia, the Soldiers Chorus and Dixieland band "Rhine River Ramblers" performed at several venues in and around Tallinn. The chorus performed for more than 5,000 people during the televised rock concert called "Veterans' Rock", honoring Estonian military veterans.
In the city of Sallamae the Dixieland band performed for more than 400 runners during a fun run with local citizens, members of the Estonian Defense Force and Soldiers assigned to NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence units.
The concert band kicked off their first performance in Narva, Estonia, joining citizens of the country to honor Estonia's Veterans Day, April 23.
"This is the 5th anniversary of Estonia's Veterans Day celebrations, and we are very happy to have the U.S. Army here to celebrate it with us," said Tarmo Tammiste, mayor of the city of Narva.
The concert concentrated mainly on sharing classic American tunes such as Percy Grainger's "Children's March", Duke Ellington's "Caravan" and even a modern score from "Star Wars' The Force Awakens" by John Williams. The performance also included several pieces from Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian composers as a nod to the country's musical heritage.
"Through music we see this tour as a great opportunity for continued cultural exchange," said Maj. Dwayne Milburn commander of the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus. "Music has the power to speak where words and actions cannot."
According to Milburn each performance was tailored to each venue and to each country. Many of the performances also included playing the national anthem of each respective nation.
On April 24, five members of the woodwind quintet, had the unique opportunity to share their passion for music with 11th grade students at Kesklinna Gumanaasium [a public school] in Narva.
"One of my favorite aspects of being an Army musician is the musical outreach," said Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Loy, flutist. "Both the music and discussion are especially important for students who don't alway have access to musical programs."
Loy added that, both the students and her fellow band members saw this as a valuable experience that broadened the understanding and the appreciation of the world and music around us.
During the spring tour the woodwind quintet will also visit several schools in Lithuania. These special outreach events are unique opportunities for our Soldiers and those they visit.
Having completed their tour of Estonia, the various components of the band rejoined in Daugavpils, Latvia, for their first combined performance at the city's Great Hall.
With instruments in-hand after each of their two hour performances band members, joined their audience in lobby of each venue to meet, take photos and thank them personally for inviting the band to their cities.
Their performance at Riga's Great Guild Hall, one of the Baltic regions' oldest public buildings will conclude their tour of Latvia. Finally the band will move onto the last leg of their tour in Lithuania, playing in the cities of Visaginas and Alythus.
According to tour planner Sgt. Anna Leverenz, operations noncommissioned officer and French horn player, during their eight-day tour, the 80 members of the band and chorus will travel more than 1100 miles and perform 15 times for crowds totaling nearly 8,500. This is just a portion of the time and planning that goes into pulling together a tour of this size.
Prior to the start of the tour, U.S. Army Sgt. Chris Condon, saxophone, joined Sgt.1st Class Eve Neumann, a soldier in the Estonian Defence Forces' band, for a master class and lecture for more than 30 aspiring professional musicians. The two also performed a recital for more than 200 audience members at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater in Tallin.
Understanding the nuances of public diplomacy is a skill that Army Europe Soldiers practice every day. This is especially the case for band and chorus Soldiers. Music missions often bring them into close contact with military and civilian individuals who have different languages, cultures and beliefs. For the band, sharing the universal language of music with their audiences lessens those differences and shows our shared commonalities, especially among Allies and partners.
Since its activation in 1940, the Army Europe Band regularly performs across Army Europe's area of responsibility, and also has appeared in more than 40 countries throughout Europe and Eurasia. This included historic performances in Edinburgh, Scotland, Moscow, Russia, London, England and in 2010 and 2014 in several Baltic region cities.
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U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51 country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance global security.
Related Links:
U.S. Army Europe Official Site
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