By Staff
By HEATHER LUNA Special to the Daily News
The U.S. Air Force American Clarinet Quartet, a division of the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band, deployed from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, played to an expected crowd of 200 Sunday afternoon at the Washington Civic Center.
Wanda Johnson, director of the Beaufort County Arts Council, said that through her contact at Langley she can arrange to have the entire 60-member ensemble perform at various sites within Beaufort County about once every two years.
Master Sgt. Peter Forman, a 19-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, explained that they are active duty military personnel and that this is their full-time job. It includes community service through various arts councils covering a "seven state geographical area of responsibility."
The group is deployed for approximately 4 months out of each year.
Providing service as part of the military's "morale and welfare" department is another major part of its mission.
The group recently recorded a CD entitled "Musical Storybook." It was distributed to the families of service members sent abroad.
A CD entitled "Songs of America," which includes tracks such as "America the Beautiful," "The National Anthem" and "Guadalcanal March," was compiled and distributed after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to provide solace and to aid healing as the United States recovered after the attacks.
There are U.S. Air Force bands around the world assigned primarily to tour for service members and families stationed abroad as well as to be on hand for any number of ceremonies.
The other members of the clarinet quartet are Master Sgt. Alison Christofoli on B flat clarinet, Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Lambert on bass clarinet and Senior Airman Joshua Gates on B flat clarinet.
Selections for Sunday's event included "The Liberty Bell," "Black and White Rag" and "Stars and Stripes Forever." A reception followed the quartet's performance.