CORNELL CLUB OF WASHINGTON
U.S. Army Band – American Holiday Festival, Topflight Annual Ecumenical Celebratory Concert to Kick Off the Holiday season.
When: Friday, December 1, 2023, 8:00 PM EST -9:30 PM EST - Register here
OR Saturday, December 2, 2023. 8:00 PM EST through 9:30 PM EST - REGISTER for Dec 2
[We have reserved 50 tickets for each night; please select only one evening]
Where: Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Constitution Hall
1776 D Street NW, Washington DC, near the corner of 18th & D Streets, NW (immediately south and down the hill from the old Red Cross National Headquarters Building)
HOWEVER, the actual entrance to Constitution hall where CCW members will enter the building is on the east side of 18th Street, just south of D Street
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
To pick up the tickets you have reserved, please meet Chuck Schilke, Law '88, at the 18th Street entrance at the bottom of the north side of the stairs, and he will hand you your tickets then.
Although tickets are needed, seating is first-come, first-served, and the tickets do not specify particular seats.
EVENT DETAILS
We discovered this event last year, and it was so fabulous in quality—and extremely low cost-- that we wanted to share this striking multimedia event with all CCW members and their guests.
This is such a wonderful event that all (except perhaps Scrooge!) will enjoy it. Given its very low cost, it lends itself particularly well to families, but young and old, singles and couples, and everyone else will get a great deal of enjoyment out of it.
DAR Constitution Hall is one of the largest event venues in Washington DC, and accommodates several thousand guests. The Army Band is also very large, and really fills up the entire stage of the Hall.
One of the many distinctive things about this event is the sheer scale of the venue and audience. For example, you will be singing Christmas carols and other holiday songs with several thousand people in a vast space—really a quite different experience than singing with even a couple of hundred singers at your home or house of worship. The collective voices of this number of people really rouse you into the holiday spirit, and is a great way to start the holiday season.
The immense Constitution Hall is copiously decorated with Christmas trees with many lights and decorations lining the back and side stages, as well as other colorful backdrops. At times, the ceiling of Constitution Hall is festooned with electronic stars.
The basic premise of the American Holiday Festival is for audience members to see how different types of Americans in the US, and many other types of people all over the world, celebrate their holidays. This worldwide tour of people celebrating their holiday celebrations is depicted in a series of films projected on the walls next to the stage.
There is much variety in the overall American Holiday Festival. To be sure, the Army Band plays the standard warhorse Christmas carols. But there are other Army musical groups and soloists singing and playing some less familiar but appealing holiday tunes from the widest range of faith and ethnic traditions.
Although military personnel appear in the presentation as announcers, the American Holiday Festival is basically civilian and ecumenical, with significant recognition of all major US faith and ethnic traditions. Also, the festival is non-militaristic, and appears simply to represent the Army’s effort to obtain favorite public relations. The performances in DC also appear to be a kind of dress rehearsal for taking the American Holiday Festival on the road.
Following the Washington DC performances, the Army Band takes the American Holiday Festival on the road to Army bases all over the world and presents it as entertainment to the service men and women.
Metro: Farragut North (Red Line) or Farragut West (Orange, Blue. Silver Lines). From the Farragut Metro stops, 7 blocks downhill walk to Constitution Hall
Parking: In downtown parking garages
Questions: Chuck Schilke, cschilke2@verizon.net or cell: 202-906-9879
CU there!!
Best regards, Cornell Club of Washington DC
