Furman Band Extravaganza to be held Sept. 28

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012
by Tina T. Underwood, Contributing Writer

GREENVILLE, S.C.— Furman University’s Marching Band, the Paladin Regiment, will present its annual Band Extravaganza concert Friday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium.

The concert is open to the public and is held in conjunction with Family Weekend at the university. Tickets are available at the door and are $5 for adults and $3 for students.

Under the direction of Jay Bocook, the Paladin Regiment will present the set list from the 2012 Exhibition Show “Paint it Black,” which explores music from the darker side of American pop culture. The performance includes special arrangements of “Smooth Criminal” by pop icon Michael Jackson, “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney, and “Secret Agent Man” as performed by Johnny Rivers.

In addition to traditional Furman songs, the Paladin Regiment will present favorite stand charts “Purple Haze,” “Jungle Boogie,” and other classic tunes like “Firebird Fanfare,” “Cadillac of the Skies,” and “Carolina in the Morning.”

The Paladin Regiment, led by senior Drum Majors David Stanley and Paul Singh, will also showcase the Furman Dance Company, which will perform choreography to “Land of a Thousand Dances” and “Gimme Some Lovin’,” by the Spencer Davis Group.

The Paladin Regiment is one of six major ensembles in the Furman band program. Consisting of 116 members, the band performs at all home games and selected away games.

A 1975 Furman graduate, Bocook is recognized internationally as a composer, arranger, conductor and educator. 2012 saw his induction into the American Bandmasters Association. Bocook was also honored recently by Drum Corps International with induction into the DCI Hall of Fame for his longtime work as music arranger for the Garfield Cadets. Bocook’s work has been featured in the 1984 Olympic Games (Los Angeles), 1996 Centennial Olympic Games (Atlanta) and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games (Salt Lake City). Bocook holds a master’s in music from Northeast Louisiana University.

For more information about the event, contact the Furman Band Office at (864)294-3069.