The United States Armed Forces Bicentennial Band was a music ensemble composed of members of all branches of the United States military and some musicians selected from music schools across the country. The band toured the United States, Canada, and Mexico to celebrate the
United States Bicentennial. The program was sponsored by the
Department of Defense and headquartered at
the army base in
Fort Meade, Maryland
Fort Meade is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census. It is the home to the National Security Agency, Central Security Service, Uni ...
.
Under the direction of Hal J. Gibson, the 67-piece band and an accompanying 24-voice mixed chorus performed a variety of selections representing different genres, generations, and regions. The band premiered at the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 24, 1975. The band was dissolved in late 1976.
In addition to touring, the band was recorded for Volume 25 of the
Heritage of the March LP series.
[{{cite book, last=Rehrig, first=William H., title=The heritage encyclopedia of band music : composers and their music, url=https://archive.org/details/heritageencyclop0001rehr, url-access=registration, year=1991, publisher=Integrity Press, location=Westerville, Ohio, isbn=0918048087, pages=879]
References
American military bands
Wind bands
Armed Forces Bicentennial Band The United States Armed Forces Bicentennial Band was a music ensemble composed of members of all branches of the United States military and some musicians selected from music schools across the country. The band toured the United States, Canada, and ...