The free concert, sponsored by the law firm of Casale, Bonner, Hillman and Southard, PC., and presented by the Williamsport Sun-Gazette featured an eclectic assortment of music ranging from the patriotic to traditional standards to hip-hop infused anthems, including the world premiere “Evident Truths,” written by Nkeiru Okoye, and featuring Staff Sgt. Lamar Riddick, of the U.S. Army Rappers.

“Tonight’s concert is all about celebrating the places, people and ideals that have defined our country,” said co-narrator and vocal soloist Staff Sgt. Alexus Monroe, in welcoming the audience.

“As we celebrate our independence in this milestone year, we also reflect on the enduring ideas that we continue to strive for, liberty, opportunity and the belief that all people are created equal,” she added.

Sun-Gazette Publisher John Leeser called presenting the concert a “wonderful opportunity.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Patriotic music filled the Community Arts Center on Monday as the United States Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus performed favorites by Aaron Copland, John Phillips Sousa and others during their America the Beautiful Concert. The evening featured the world premiere performance of Evident Truths by Nkeiru Okoye.

“Leading up to the 250th anniversary of our country, it’s an incredible privilege, and if this doesn’t get you excited for that, I don’t think anything will,” Leeser said.

Fellow co-narrator and vocal soloist Staff Sgt. James Wilson, who has been performing with the Army for six and a half years, told the Sun-Gazette that his enlistment actually stems from his love of music

“I had thought about the military post-high school, but hadn’t really given it a thought once I chose to go to school for music,” he said.

Wilson, who holds a master’s of music from the University of Tennessee, initially had his sights set on performing in the opera. He and his wife would subsequently sell their belongings and move to Germany in pursuit of that goal.

Upon returning to the states, a colleague from grad school approached Wilson about joining the field band.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Patriotic music filled the Community Arts Center on Monday as the United States Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus performed favorites by Aaron Copland, John Phillips Sousa and others during their America the Beautiful Concert. The evening featured the world premiere performance of Evident Truths by Nkeiru Okoye.

“I looked into it and talked with my former colleague, and it was neat to think about military service in a way I had never really thought about,” Wilson said.

“To think, ‘man, I can serve my country with music,’ in this specific skill set I had was really neat to do,” he said, adding that he comes from a long line of military service, including a brother in the special forces and a sixth great-grandfather that served in the Revolutionary War.

“To be a part of that heritage, to be the next generation that has taken up the banner and continued to tell the tale, if you will, has been really cool to remember,” Wilson added.

Wilson said the band’s ability to play such a wide variety of music comes down to its make-up.

“It comes down to the quality of people we have,” he said.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Patriotic music filled the Community Arts Center on Monday as the United States Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus performed favorites by Aaron Copland, John Phillips Sousa and others during their America the Beautiful Concert. The evening featured the world premiere performance of Evident Truths by Nkeiru Okoye.

“We have a lot of Americans from all walks of life that have joined our group, and it’s been really neat to highlight that unity and diversity,” Wilson said.

Wilson also sees this opportunity as a means of keeping the history of military services past alive.

“Music is such a powerful thing, and in doing years of opera, I got to tell some cool stories on the stage, but the stories I get to tell now, with the military, these are real stories,” he said.

“These are stories of real Americans that we get to share and connect people to, and get to really honor people who have served,” Wilson said.

“That’s been such a big thing about America’s 250th anniversary, where we get to look back and honor our nation’s journey from winning our independence to preserving it for future generations,” he added.

Likening the discipline needed to complete a master’s degree to that needed to hone specific skills in the military, Wilson said the two were not so dis-similar, though the impacts certainly are.

“It may not be seeing a Mozart aria, but now I know the mission is connecting to the American people through music and telling these stories,” he said.

“And within the chorus, there’s so much variety in our backgrounds, whether people have sung on cruise ships or have a music education or done operatic or only pop stuff, everybody brings that experience and we’re going to come together and execute this mission unified as a chorus,” Wilson said

Wilson said one of his favorite aspects of singing with the group is at times being a soloist, while presenting with the chorus as a unified team.

At Monday night’s concert, Wilson played acoustic guitar and sang Alex Warren’s “Carry You Home,” which was dedicated to those family members who “hold down the fort” when servicemembers are called to duty, including Wilson’s wife, who is currently pregnant with their sixth child.

Wilson said that soloists are sometimes picked because their voice or style may fit a particular song, though in-house auditions are always held to give all a fair opportunity.

“When I auditioned for the chorus, it was a whole day ordeal. We woke up at 7 a.m., got on base at 7:30, and started our audition at 8:00, and that didn’t end, probably until 4:30 or 5:00 in the afternoon, because you sing solo things, and then you sing with the chorus, and then you interview with the chorus, and then interview with the commander. It’s a really long process,” he said, calling it “one of the arts’ best kept secrets,”

“I get to sing and serve my country, but also get paid on a normal schedule. That’s not something you see a lot in the arts community, so it’s a really special job,” Wilson said.

Community can mean many things in the U.S., and each one of them has a special place for those performing.

“Regardless of how big your town may be, we want to connect with as many people as possible,” he said.

“One of my first tours, one night we sang at this at this gorgeous hall for over 1,000 people, and then the next morning, we sang for maybe 30 people at a VA home, and to be able to sing in some really cool places, but also get to be at soldier’s bedsides at a VA home, or in a small town, it’s really beautiful,” Wilson said.

“People have served from all over the nation, and just thinking about our continued national strength, it relies upon supporting our communities, even on the smaller level,” he added.

“Our country looks very different, but it’s still the same Constitution, still the same values, it’s still looking to the future and how we can have a more perfect union, and even though it’s changed so much, it’s still so much the same, and we get to remember during this, this 250th year,” Wilson said.

For more information on the The United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus, please visit www.armyfieldband.com/soldiers-chorus.