The Central Methodist University Concert Band, under the direction of Prof. Skip Vandelicht, will present the second annual Seward Legacy Concert on Sunday, March 5 at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary of Linn Memorial United Methodist Church. This concert is the “home” tour concert and precedes the band’s annual tour of Missouri which, begins on Thursday, March 9. The concert is free and open to the public.
The inaugural Seward Legacy Concert featured the dedication of the endowments in honor of Ken ’51 and Nancy ’52 Seward, which were generously donated by Lynn Howard. Beginning this spring, the concert will not only honor the Sewards, but all of the directors in the rich Central Methodist band history. The weekend’s festivities begin on Saturday night, March 4, with a dinner at Emmet’s (RSVP required) and continue into Sunday with a gathering in the Bergsten Dining Hall for lunch and social time with fellow Central band alumni, followed by campus tours for those who are interested and an opportunity to visit the Eagle Store from 1-3 p.m. At 3 p.m., the CMU Concert Band will present its Tour Kick Off Concert, during which the 2023 Seward Band Award for Excellence winner will be announced.
Repertoire for the concert comes from the 21 pieces the band has prepared for the 96th Annual Band Tour and will feature: “Colossus of Columbia,” a march by Russell Alexander and arranged by CMU alumnus Andrew Glover; “Prelude and Rondo” by CMU alumnus David Holsinger; “Fantasia for Alto Saxophone” by CMU alumnus Claude T. Smith, featuring senior saxophonist Austin Schaedler of Mt. Vernon; “Humming Tune and Frolic” by Nancy Seward; “Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite” by Karl King; and “Symphonic Suite” by Clifton Williams.
The Concert Band will be touring through central and western Missouri from March 9 through March 13, including the following stops:
Thursday, March 9
7 p.m. at Bueker Middle School (Marshall)
Friday, March 10
7 p.m. at Stockton United Methodist Church (Stockton)
Saturday, March 11
7 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church (Grain Valley)
Sunday, March 12
9 and 11 a.m. at Faith United Methodist Church (Grain Valley)
7 p.m. at North Cross United Methodist Church (Kansas City)
The band will play approximately twelve performances during the 5-day tour, playing at schools during the day and United Methodist Churches in the evenings. For more information on the weekend activities, contact the Alumni Relations Office at (660)-248-6260 or advance@centralmethodist.edu.