By Meredith Marcinkewicz

In honor of the 250th Birthday of our country, the Shirley 250th Committee is sponsoring a special performance on Saturday November 7th at 7:00 p.m. at Ayer-Shirley High School, 141 Washington St. in Ayer.

While musical excellence has always been its standard, The United States Army Field Band has not always been its name. Near the close of World War II, Chief Warrant Officer Chester E. Whiting returned from overseas duty to help organize the 1st Combat Infantry Band at Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland. Composed entirely of Soldiers with musical talents who had served in combat in all theaters of the war, the band began an immediate mission of bolstering support for their fellow Soldiers. Initially, the band toured for a year and a half performing in community outreach concerts that also supported the sale of War Bonds. Its success earned the band the unofficial title, “The Million Dollar Band.”

In 1946, General Jacob Devers, commander of the Army Ground Forces, commissioned Chief Whiting to “organize a band that will carry into the grassroots of our country the story of our magnificent Army, its glorious traditions and achievements.” The 1st Combat Infantry Band became The Army Ground Forces Band, and performed in the nation’s capital and toured extensively around the United States. The Army Ground Forces became the Army Field Forces in 1948, and consequently the band’s name was changed to The United States Army Field Band in 1950.

Although these early years brought many name changes, the band’s mission never wavered. The Musical Ambassadors of the Army maintain this mission by bringing the American Soldier and a diverse musical repertoire to local, national, and international audiences.

The Field Band continually demonstrates its ability to change in meeting operational challenges. The development of various performing components has enhanced the band’s mission throughout the past seven decades.

As early as 1946, instrumentalists from the Musical Ambassadors doubled as the Glee Club, which soon earned the name the Soldiers’ Chorus. Witnessing one of their performances, Major General W. Preston Corderman remarked that the Chorus, “through its stirring musical renditions, is one of the most effective vehicles for bringing the U.S. Army closer to the American people.” In 1957, the Soldiers’ Chorus became a separate component of trained vocalists, performing both with and without the Concert Band in spreading the Army message.

In this 250th Anniversary year, the Field Band and Chorus have been traveling all over the nation and we are pleased to have them visit us in the Nashoba Valley. The tickets are free and will be available at Hazen Library, the Shirley Town Clerk, Shirley Council on Aging and Shirley Council on Aging.

Concert tickets and Shirley 250th t-shirts will also be available at the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd, from 9 a.m.  – 8 p.m.