SEQUIM — The Sequim City Band, under the direction of Tyler Benedict, will hold its first free outdoor concert of the season, “Over the Rainbow,” at 3 p.m. Sunday at the James Center for the Performing Arts.
The James Center for the Performing Arts is located near Carrie Blake Park at 350 N. Blake Ave.
The band has a variety of numbers designed to get the audience into the spirit of spring and will perform all kinds of weather-related music. Guests are urged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, sun protection and perhaps umbrellas.
The theme is fitting for Sequim’s abundance of rainbows because the colorful, prismatic displays require both rain and sunshine, organizers say.
The title piece “Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen was written for the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz.”
A medley of rainy day songs simply titled “Rain” includes classics such as “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Robert W. Smith’s “In a Gentle Rain” begins with a soft tapping of raindrops that promises to make the flowers bloom and the grass greener.
In contrast, “The Thunderer March” by march master John Philip Souza conjures up a violent storm, with drums and trumpets providing the rumble and lightening.
Sousa was called the March King, but John Clifford Heed was nicknamed the March Wizard. His march “In Storm and Sunshine” is his most popular work.
A piece called “Chase the Shouting Wind” by Vince Gassi was inspired by the poem “High Flight” by pilot John G. Magee Jr. This music depicts the exhilaration and freedom of flight above the clouds and over the rainbow.
What is at the end of the rainbow? Leprechauns, legend has it. “Irish Tune From County Derry” by Percy Grainger includes one of the most beloved arrangements of “Danny Boy.”
William Latham’s “Brighton Beach March” has dynamic contrasts that might depict the changing weather.
“Sunny Sequim March” by the band’s founder, Chuck Swisher, is purely about the joy of sunshine and Sequim’s claim to fame.
Frank Ticheli is an American composer and recipient of numerous awards.
“His music has been described as powerful, lean and muscular, optimistic, thoughtful and brilliant,” concert organizers say.
“His piece ‘Sun Dance’ is a choreography of intertwining rhythms and harmonies that will elicit sheer joy.”
Cynthia Webster, a published author and musician, will serve as announcer.
She sings with the Peninsula Singers and has been featured as a soprano soloist on many occasions. She also is a pianist and has accompanied both church and community choirs.
The Sequim City Band is a nonprofit, volunteer organization.
For more information, visit the band’s website at www.sequimcityband.org.
