The UNC Charlotte Wind Ensemble, joined by the University Chorale and the Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band, will present “For Heroes Proved: A Veterans Day Concert” at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 11, at Ovens Auditorium. Performed on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, this free multimedia concert will feature patriotic music and video from the marching band's summer performances at World War II sites in Normandy, France.
The program will include American favorites, such as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “America the Beautiful” and the “Armed Forces Salute,” and two pieces by renowned film composer, John Williams: “Liberty Fanfare,” written in 1986 for the centennial of the Statue of Liberty, and “Hymn to the Fallen” from the movie “Saving Private Ryan.”
The centerpiece of the concert is a 12-minute work called "Lonely Beach (Normandy 1944)" by James Barnes, a contemporary composer from Kansas. University Communications has created a video to accompany the music that combines historic World War II footage with video from the Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band’s recent trip to France. The marching band served as the official band to represent the United States at D-Day commemorations in June.