Music of the Masters celebrates America’s 250th with patriotic concert May
A portrait of Thomas Jefferson is layered over the American flag and musical notation to promote the “Music of the Masters” concert celebrating America’s 250th birthday on May 3 at Casper College. (Casper College image)
This year’s Music of the Masters celebrates America’s 250th birthday with a patriotic concert Sunday, May 3, at 3 p.m., featuring a preconcert lecture at 2 p.m., both in the Wheeler Concert Hall.
The concert will feature Randall Thompson’s “The Testament of Freedom,” written in 1943 to celebrate the bicentennial of Thomas Jefferson’s birth on April 13, 1743. “Several years ago, before it was generally on the mind of the people in our country, I made a note to myself to plan on programming Randall Thompson’s ‘The Testament of Freedom’ for the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation,” said Zachary Vreeman, DMA.
According to Vreeman, the texts Thompson selected for “The Testament of Freedom” were pointed statements taken directly from Jefferson’s writings and letters … “about the uniqueness of America’s founding, and they even seemed prophetic in light of America’s entry into World War II,” noted Vreeman.
To complement “The Testament of Freedom,” the remainder of the concert features works appropriate for the celebration of America’s 250th birthday, including music by William Billings, Charles Ives, William Steffe, and others.
In addition to the Casper College Collegiate Chorale and Chamber Singers, under the direction of Vreeman, and the Casper College Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Jennifer DePaolo, the Casper College Band, under the direction of Joshua R. Mietz, DMA, will also perform for the first time at a Music of the Masters concert.
Vreeman noted that everyone involved in Sunday’s concert hopes the audience will thoroughly enjoy it and that the music will express their love and appreciation for America.
The concert and preconcert lecture are free and open to the public and will take place in Wheeler Concert Hall, located in the Music Building on the Casper College campus.
At A Glance:
- Event Title: Music of the Masters: “The Testament of Freedom”
- Core Performance: A patriotic concert featuring Randall Thompson’s 1943 work, “The Testament of Freedom,” which utilizes texts from Thomas Jefferson’s personal writings.
- Date and Time: Sunday, May 3, 2026; preconcert lecture at 2 p.m., concert at 3 p.m.
- Location: Wheeler Concert Hall in the Music Building on the Casper College campus
- Participants: The Casper College Collegiate Chorale, Chamber Singers, Chamber Orchestra, and the Casper College Band
- Admission: The event is free and open to the public