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Young musicians from the Pioneer School of Music participate in this year’s concert.
Led by Bandmaster Edward F. Freeman, the Tustin Ranch Band (Calif.)—after the National Anthem—kicked off its annual Spring Music Festival with a march by Captain Martin Cordner containing the tune, “Yellow Star and Red and Blue,” indicating the colors in The Salvation Army flag.
Warren Johnson, the band’s executive officer, welcomed the crowd, noting that it was 17 years ago that the corps met in this facility for the first time.
Trumpet soloist David Hall performed “Flourish” and then young pianist Emma Lee presented Mozart’s “Piano Concerto in C.”
Lee was 4 years old when the the Tustin Ranch Corps’ Pioneer School of Music started approximately eight years ago.
As well as featuring newly published music, the band played the Army classic, “The Present Age” (Leslie Condon), which tells the story of a young Christian who sets out to confidently proclaim his faith, only to be greeted by all kinds of worldly things. Eventually he pledges, “I’ll follow thee,” then reaffirms “It is well with my soul,” finishing off with the challenge of “Courage brother, do not stumble.”
David Dunford, pianist, and Sarah Koo, cellist, were featured soloists. Dunford played the “10th Transcendental Etude” by Lizst.
“As always,” said Western Territorial Music Secretary Neil Smith, “his playing was full of energy and flawless. It truly is fascinating to watch him!”
Koo and Dunford together performed a tribute to Majors Lee and Michelle Lescano, who will be leaving shortly to take up a new appointment after almost 20 years at Tustin Ranch. The music, arranged by Dunford, featured the song “How Deep The Father’s Love for Us.”
The sound of 16 cellos from the Pioneer School blended in a medley. In the last two years, this group has grown from two to 16.
The evening concluded with Wilfred Heaton’s classic march “Praise.”
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