Memorial Day Began 150 Years Ago, Two Weeks After President Lincoln's Last Visit to the Theater

Dunedin, FL, April 29, 2015 --(PR.com)-- When Dunedin Concert Band Director and Conductor Stephen P Brown realized President Lincoln’s assassination and the first publicly recognized Memorial Day occurred so close to each other, he simply had to find live music to share with the residents of Pinellas County that reflected both historic events.

As a result, the Dunedin Concert Band will present ‘Lincoln Legacy’ by Michael Sweeney at a free outdoor concert in downtown Dunedin on Sunday, May 24 at 3pm. “The piece includes the famous Civil War song ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again’ and is a terrific way to celebrate the lives of all those who sacrificed themselves whilst serving in the military,” said Brown.

Originally being from the UK, Brown was not aware that Memorial Day began as Decoration Day, and according to David Blight, an award-winning Professor of American History at Yale University, was first widely recognized by the public on May 1, 1865 when almost 10,000 people cleaned up and laid flowers at an unmarked burial field in Charleston, South Carolina.

150 Years later, we still use Memorial Day to celebrate all those who gave their lives to keep “We The People” protected from tyranny and harm, often through theater plays but all the other arts as well, including live music. At their performance called “Celebrate Sacrifice” on May 24, the Dunedin Concert Band will share some of the most inspiring military and remembrance music ever composed, including John Philip Sousa’s ‘Washington Post March,’ John Williams’ ‘Hymn to the Fallen,’ and a selection of Irving Berlin’s songs for America.

The concert at the John R. Lawrence Pioneer Park on Main Street, Dunedin, is free for all who bring a chair and even a picnic, although donations are encouraged to help the band present more live music in and around the community. Conducted and presented by Stephen P Brown, the Dunedin Concert Band is also very excited to perform with Guest Conductor John R. Nalezny, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Air Force, and the Commander and Conductor of Air Force Bands.

“Celebrate Sacrifice” is a concert presented by the City of Dunedin Parks & Recreation Department and the Dunedin Concert Band.

· Sunday, May 24 2015, 3pm – Freewill donations accepted.
· John R. Lawrence Pioneer Park, 420 Main Street, Dunedin, FL

Since 1982, the Dunedin Concert Band has provided Dunedin and the surrounding communities with live music for both enjoyment and learning. Professional and amateur musicians from near and far work together to create and present some of the finest live music experiences in the area. Under the direction of two time Global Music Award winner Maestro Stephen P Brown who has performed on four continents, members of the Dunedin Concert Band are excited to share their ever growing abilities and quality music making beyond their home base at the Dunedin Community Center, and thanks to the City of Dunedin Parks and Recreation Department, all concert, children’s, patriotic, Christmas and other performances are presented free to everyone. Generous donations are always accepted for sheet music, equipment, and offsite performances.

Two-time Global Music Awards Winner, British American Conductor Composer Stephen P Brown has shared his zeal for live classical music for over 30 years in concert halls, colleges, theaters, community centers, nursing homes and churches throughout the USA, UK, Europe and Africa, and in 2013 was ranked #2 in the Reverbnation USA Classical Music Charts. Maestro Brown is a deeply adventurous and creative visionary who founded the Medway Chamber Orchestra, Medway and Gravesend Percussion Ensembles, and the Sunfonia Chorale. With a long history conducting orchestra, choirs, concert bands and stage musicals, he is currently Director of the Dunedin Concert Band and Conductor of the Richey Community Orchestra. As a Composer he has embarked on a #PsalmQuest to write 150 new pieces of music by his 50th birthday, and as a Conductor he is known for transforming ensembles and captivating audiences: “It’s almost as if the music is a tangible medium he is sculpting,” said Kathleen Haft, a musician who attends Maestro Brown’s concerts at every opportunity. “He has grace, poise, charm and humor.”

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) John R. Nalezny is a native of Hammond, IN. He received his music degree in Conducting and Composing from Indiana University in 1959. He received a commission as a second lieutenant from the Air Force also in 1959. This began a career spanning 25 years as the Commander and Conductor of Air Force Bands. His career began in Washington, DC with The Air Force Band and took him to Sacramento, CA; Tacoma, WA; Rantoul, IL; Tampa, Fl; Honolulu, HI; Colorado Springs, CO. Colonel Nalezny has conducted his bands at the Hollywood Bowl in California; Toronto, Canada; Carnegie Hall; Ruth Eckerd Hall, Tampa, FL and other venues around the world from Mexico City to Victoria, Canada; Tokyo, Japan to Bath City, UK.