Santa Monica College's Emeritus Concert Band will take audiences on a musical trip around the globe without anyone needing a passport, performing a free concert titled “Around the World in a Little More Than an Hour, with Intermission” on Sunday, November 8 at 1 p.m. The 60-member ensemble will play at The Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, located at 1310 11th St. at Santa Monica Boulevard.
The concert, conducted by Yosuke Miyoshi, draws its program from the United States and many other nations, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. Selections include “Around the World in 80 Days” by Victor Young, “Slava!” by Leonard Bernstein, “Cielito Lindo” by Quirino Mendoza y Cortés, and “Pirates of the Caribbean” by Klaus Badelt. The lineup also features “Sea Songs” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, “Highland Cathedral” by Michael Korb and Ulrich Roever, “Lawrence of Arabia” by Maurice Jarre, “A Jasmine Tree” by Kevin Charoensri, “La La Land” by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and “I Dreamed a Dream” by Claude-Michel Schönberg.
A Bagpiper Joins the Band
Adding a distinctive sound to several pieces will be Alexander Walker, a member of the Kenneth R. Blanchford Memorial Pipe Band, who will perform on bagpipe. Miyoshi said he was excited to conduct the band in the concert, and he urged audiences to attend the free performance and enjoy the ensemble, per the same report.
The Emeritus Concert Band includes musicians across a wide range of ages and has performed free concerts since 1979. According to Santa Monica College, the ensemble's members come from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels, with some having played in the group for several decades.
Part of a Decades-Old Program for Older Adults
The band operates under SMC's Emeritus program, which was established in 1975 to serve older adults and offers free classes and special programs to that population. The concert band itself welcomes new members, who can learn how to join by calling 310-434-4306 — the same number listeners can call for general concert information, along with smc.edu/emeritus.
Seating for the November 8 concert is first-come, first-served, and parking is free. Those needing disability-related accommodations must request them at least five business days in advance, either by emailing SMC's Center for Students with Disabilities at [email protected] or by calling 310-434-4255.
A Tradition of Free Performances
The band's globe-spanning program follows a similar free concert pattern established earlier this year, when the ensemble presented a “Spring Celebration” show on a Sunday at 1 p.m., also at The Eli & Edythe Broad Stage. That performance likewise offered free parking and first-come, first-served seating, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported in its earlier coverage. The spring program featured works including “Hollingsworth Celebration” by Robert Sheldon, “Joy Revisited” by Frank Ticheli, “Beatles: Love” arranged by Jay Bocook, “A Sky So Boundless” by Katahj Copley, and “Sesquicentennial Exposition March” by John Philip Sousa, according to the Santa Monica Mirror.
