Two of Marshall’s alumnae will participate in the event. Master Sgt. Lutricia Tampa Fields will serve as group leader, managing the administrative aspects of the premier chamber ensemble, while Staff Sgt. Deanna Bertsche Hamm will perform on a Baroque flute.
“It is frankly such an honor to come back to my alma mater and to visit with my former teachers and colleagues in this position, now having served in the U.S. Army for 15 years this month,” Fields said.
The Historical Trumpets and Flutes, one of the Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps ensembles, features instruments inspired by 18th century models, reviving the sounds of period flute and trumpet music for a broad range of events, from official ceremonies to concerts for public audiences.
“All the musicians in the historical ensemble, they too perform fife, bugle or drum, which is the mainstay of the organization,” Fields said. “The historical ensemble that I lead is a specialized group that provides chamber music.”
The program will feature two works that will be accompanied by an ensemble of Marshall music faculty and students, led by violinist and conductor Dr. Elizabeth Reed Smith. The first is a concerto for two flutes by Antonio Vivaldi and the second is J.S. Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite. Bach’s suite is renowned for its famous trumpeting and graceful air. The Historical Trumpets and Flutes will round out the program with their own repertoire and introductions to their music and instruments.
“It’s an enormous honor to have this world-renowned group on our campus to perform their exciting music,” Dr. Wendell Dobbs, professor of music, who teaches flute at Marshall, said. “It’s a particular privilege to have back home two of our most extraordinary graduates from our music program.”
“Having been a service member for 15 years and bringing that life experience back to the university where I studied music, where it all began, if you will, it really is an honor and very exciting,” Fields said. “It’s always very exciting to come back home because West Virginia is my home.”
The ensemble actively serves the community through educational outreach by providing clinics at schools and universities across the U.S. and has performed at many esteemed venues, including the International Trumpet Guild Conference, the National Flute Association National Convention, the Pentagon, and the Department of State. Their appearance at Marshall is sponsored in part by the John Deaver Drinko Academy at the university.
To learn more about Marshall University’s music program, visit marshall.edu/music. To learn more about the celebration of John Marshall’s birthday on the Huntington campus, visit https://www.marshall.edu/news/2015/09/08/quoits-tournament-highlights-constitution-week-activities.
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Photo: Marshall University Professor of Music Dr. Wendell Dobbs (second from left) stands with Marshall University music alumnae now in the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, Jennifer Bailey (left), Lutricia Fields (second from right) and Deanna Hamm. Fields and Hamm will be performing at Marshall Sept. 23.