Not many bands of any genre can boast an unbroken history that reaches back to World War II. But that is where The U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West began its musical journey. The name changed over the years and the band moved around, just as military families do, but after several incarnations, it landed in California to finally become the USAF Band of the Golden West in 1997. This 47-member organization continues to maintain its rich heritage of musical excellence and outstanding Air Force professionalism in over 250 annual performances throughout the Western states of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada.
This afternoon the Freight presents the band's resident chamber music ensemble, Pacific Coast Winds, drawn from the concert band. Under the direction of Captain Haley Armstrong, the Pacific Coast Winds consists of a double woodwind quintet and brass quintet augmented by percussion. This group of highly trained musicians delights audiences throughout the western United States, performing a varied assortment of pre-eminent wind music, ranging from the Mozart Serenades, Stravinsky and Dukas to the antics of PDQ Bach—a little something for everyone.
