History in the Making – A Celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial

To celebrate the Bicentennial year of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra will join with the Allentown Band, America’s Oldest Civilian Concert Band, at Allentown’s Symphony Hall on October 10, 2009 for an exciting, opening concert for PSO’s 2009-2010 concert season. History in the Making – A Celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial, will be a concert that truly qualifies as history in the making! This is the first time in the PSO’s thirty year history and the Allentown Band’s one hundred eighty-one years, that the two groups will have joined on the same stage (at Historic Allentown’s Symphony Hall) to present a collaborative program designed to celebrate the Bicentennial year of one of our most well-known and highly revered American President’s with music that is American.

The concert will begin with The Allentown Band playing Aaron Copland’s well-known “Fanfare for The Common Man,” followed by “Divertimento for Band” by another American composer- Philadelphian, Vincent Persichetti.  Allan Birney, Conductor and Music Director of the PA Sinfonia Orchestra will then conduct the orchestra playing George Gershwin’s “Lullaby” and conclude the first half, joined by several Allentown Band members, with “Lyric Harmony,” by Pulitzer Prize winning, American composer- Yeheudi Weiner. Birney is a friend of Yeheudi Weiner and has extended an invitation to the composer to attend this concert.

After intermission, the Allentown Band returns to perform “Lincolnshire Posey,” a ground breaking original work for band by Percy Grainger, an American Citizen by choice, who lived for many years in White Plains, New York. This renowned band classic will then be followed by the orchestra, again augmented with Allentown Band members; this time conducted by Ronald Demkee, presenting Aaron Copland’s celebrated “Lincoln Portrait,” featuring Greg Funfgeld, Conductor of the Bethlehem Bach Choir, as narrator.

In an article by Robert's in his "History of Lehigh County," he writes that "Menninger's band," who was leader of the Allentown Band at the time, participated in the military parade along with the Allen Rifles at Philadelphia when President-elect officiated at the raising of the flag over Independence Hall on February 21, 1861. It may also be worthy of note that the Allentown Band played for the City of Allentown’s Memorial Service for the recently assassinated Abraham Lincoln on April 19, 1865. This was on the same day that observances were held in Washington, D.C. 

The concert concludes with a combined group of musicians from both the band and orchestra playing a rousing rendition of John Phillip Sousa’s immortal “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

American’s want to feel and be patriotic! History in the making, truly a collaborative effort with musicians from the PA Sinfonia, the Allentown Band and Greg Funfgeld, Conductor of the Bethlehem Bach Choir; not only celebrates the birth of Abraham Lincoln, but highlights the richness, diversity and quality of the musical life in one American community- the Lehigh Valley!

Ron Demkee