Heartland of America Band Holiday Concert Set

The United States Air Force Heartland of America Band is returning to Glenwood next month to spread some holiday cheer.

The instrumental and vocal musicians from Offutt Air Force Base will present their 2015 “Sounds of the Season” holiday concert at the Glenwood Community High School performing arts auditorium on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. The concert is co-sponsored by The Opinion-Tribune and Glenwood Community School District.

Free tickets for the holiday concert will be available on a first-come basis beginning Monday,  Nov. 16, at The Opinion-Tribune office, Glenwood State Bank and First National Bank. Ticket distribution will be limited to four per request. Seating for the concert will be general admission and ticket holders will be required to be seated at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the performance. Doors to the auditorium will open at 1:15 p.m.

From 1987 to 2012, the Heartland of America Band performed a series of holiday concerts in Omaha at the Orpheum Theater and Holland Performing Arts Center. However, cuts to the Pentagon’s music budget mandated in federal budget sequestration legislation restricted the amount of money branches of the military can spend on community outreach events, like musical concerts and air shows.

In lieu of the holiday concerts in downtown Omaha, the band decided in 2013 to give a series of holiday performances at high school auditoriums in the metropolitan area. The Glenwood concert will be the band’s lone performance in Iowa.

Opinion-Tribune editor Joe Foreman said the newspaper is honored to partner with the school district in bringing the concert to Glenwood for a third straight year.
 

“The concert has become a popular holiday season tradition in Glenwood,” Foreman said. “They’re extremely talented musicians and they put on a wonderful show.”
    

Doug  Roe, the band’s director of operations, said the group enjoys performing in Glenwood.
 

“The auditorium in Glenwood is first-class and the audience always gives us a warm reception,” Roe said.