Maneuver Center of Excellence Band presents free holiday concert at RiverCenter

If you are not yet in the Christmas mood, then a special show Dec. 13 is sure to put you there.

The Maneuver Center of Excellence Band from Fort Benning will be performing its annual holiday concert featuring holiday classics at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.

It is a free two-hour concert beginning at 7 p.m.

“We have been doing this for a number of years and it is always a treat,” said Norman Easterbrook, RiverCenter’s executive director.

He said the show will feature a lot of Christmas favorites.

“There will be a lot of traditional Christmas music both secular and sacred,” he said.

The show will be in the Bill Heard Theatre.

“If someone has not experienced a show at RiverCenter then this family event would be a great time to do it,” Easterbook said.

The Maneuver Center of Excellence band has been performing for more than 50 years.

According to Fort Benning, the band’s performances help provide a patriotic spirit within the community.

The band lives by the motto “One Force, One Fight!”

According to the band’s website, the 283rd Army Center band was formed in 1916 in El Paso, Texas as the 34th Infantry Band of the 34th Infantry Regiment. During its time with the 34th Infantry Regiment, the band earned campaign participation credit in World War I at Lorrain, France.

The band served for many years at Fort Benning until it was inactivated in 1940.

In 1942, the band was reactivated at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and was aligned with the 136th Infantry Regiment. The band was called on to support overseas efforts during World War II.

It was stationed on various Hawaiian Islands and then at Luzon, Manila in the Phillipine Islands before begin deactivated again in 1946.

The band was reactivated at Fort Benning in 1944 as the 283rd Army Band. In 2009 during Fort Benning’s transformation with Fort Campbell, the band was officially designated at the Maneuver Center of Excellence Band.

The unit features a woodwind quintet, brass quintet, ceremonial band, concert band, jazz combo, rock band and stage band.

Easterbrook said he has not seen what the MCOE Band has planned for its program Wednesday.

“People attending the show may hear from all of them,” said Easterbrook.

This story was originally published December 5, 2017 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Maneuver Center of Excellence Band presents free holiday concert at RiverCenter."