Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Farmington Band Presents Patriotic Concerts
FARMINGTON — More than 100 Farmington Symphonic Band members traveled 25 straight hours by charter bus this summer to help the nation commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.
The Cardinal Band was the first group to perform on June 8 to open a monthlong festival leading up to the battle anniversary itself, July 1- 3. The band performed a 50- minute concert at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pa.
Th e Fa rm in g ton High Honor Choir also was represented at the commemoration by an ensemble of young men who sang a four- part version of the National Anthem.
The Farmington band and choir were the only groups to represent Arkansas for the festival.
The students received a second honor and were asked to place a wreath of fresh flowers at the Arkansas Monument, erected in memory of Arkansas soldiers who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Jim Spillars, Farmington High School band director, said he was very proud of the students at the Arkansas monument.
“They were extremely solemn about it,” Spillars said. “The kids formed a corridor and the band’s drum majors marched the wreath and presented it. The kids were very respectful.
These were men who left Arkansas and went all the way up there to fight.”
Spillars last led the band to Washington D.C., in June 2007, when the band represented Arkansas at the National Anthem Project, a nationwide campaign sponsored by the National Association for Music Education to get Americans singing the National Anthem again.
He said the biggest reason for taking trips such as these is to help students understand the importance of the United States and its history.
“You can read about it or watch it on TV but until you are there, it’s hard to understand that it’s bigger than you,” Spillars said. “It’s a pride in our nation.”
Th e Fa rm in g ton Symphonic Band, made up of 8th graders- recently graduated seniors, presented a concert that was patriotic in nature “with a lot of Arkansas thrown in,” Spillars said.
The band performed the “General Lee March,” “Lincoln Cente n n ia l March” and “General Grant March.” Other patriotic music performed was “America, The Beautiful” and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Arkansas related pieces included “Arkansas Traveler,” and “Bayview March,” which was written by an Arkansas born composer.
“High Water Mark - The Third Day” depicts the third day of fighting at Gettysburg when Confederate forces led what became known as Pickett’s Charge.
One of the highlights of the trip, Spillars said, was meeting re-enactors of the 187th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment.
The men are all descendants of soldiers who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. Dressed in period uniforms, the men came to Farmington’s concert at the military park and were willing to be photographed with the band.
In all, 148 people, including directors, students, parents and some siblings, traveled first to Washington, D.C., and then onto Gettysburg.
The band was scheduled to perform an outside concert at the Lincoln Memorial but the concert was rained out as a tropical storm made its way up the east coast.
As part of the trip, the band toured the monuments in Washington, D.C., visited Arlington National Cemetery, toured museums at the Smithsonian Institu- tion, watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and rode the Washington Metro.
U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor and U. S. Rep. Steve Womack addressed the students and arranged a tour of the Capitol building for the band.
Spillars expressed his appreciation to businesses, individuals and organizations that helped sponsor the trip.
“These are life experiences for the kids,” Spillars said. “They see that things are different in other parts of the country and they taught something about Arkansas to people there. The whole thing was amazing to me. They had experiences hopefully that they’ll remember the rest of their lives.”