On Sunday, Nov. 11, the Elmhurst College Wind Ensemble and American Legion T.H.B. Post 187 join together to present a Veterans Day Tribute for the Elmhurst community. This tribute concert is a part of a larger effort to help increase community engagement and general awareness of our veterans and their service to our country.
The tribute will be held at 12 noon in Hammerschmidt Chapel on the Elmhurst College Campus. The Elmhurst College Wind Ensemble will provide patriotic music throughout the program that will include Mayor Steve Morley and Elmhurst College President Troy VanAken as guest speakers. Two veterans from the Elmhurst College Veterans Association will also speak, along with Commander John Scudder from the Elmhurst American Legion Post #187. Adding to the color and pageantry of the event will be the American Legion Color Guard accompanied by the color guards and members of Elmhurst Boy Scout Troops 82 and 117.
This one-hour tribute will include patriotic music composed by George M. Cohan in honor of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. John Philip Sousa’s Comrades of the Legion will be performed, a march Sousa dedicated to the American Legion. A medley of popular music from World War II through the Gulf War will be performed along with movie music concluding with John Williams’ Hymn to the Fallen that will be accompanied by a moving video tribute.
“Veterans Day always reminds me of the enormous sacrifice made by young people in defense of our country,” said President VanAken. “Their service protects the freedoms we enjoy, and our way of life. On Veterans Day, we invite the community to attend the Veterans Day Band Tribute Concert at Elmhurst College . . . a wonderful opportunity to enjoy inspirational, patriotic music and think about how this country’s veterans and active service members, throughout our history, have fought and died to keep us free.”
Please join the EC Wind Ensemble and the Elmhurst American Legion in this special tribute to honor our veterans. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit elmhurst.edu/music.
