Members of Pershing's Own Chamber Ensemble on stage

Four Question for Staff Sergeant Justin Polybank

Musicians of the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” to Present Chamber Music Concert Commemorating the Centennial Anniversary of World War I Armistice 

By Madison Menz
Staff Writer

Justin PolyblankOn Thursday, January 17th 2019, musicians from The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” will present a chamber music concert commemorating the centennial anniversary of the World War I Armistice. The performance takes place at The National Archives’ William G. McGowan Theater, located at 701 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20002, at 7:00 PM. The program features classical chamber music of the group of French composers known as “Les Six.” Following a return peace in Europe, the Montparnasse district of Paris became an epicenter of creativity for composers Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, and Germaine Tailleferre. The program features works for piano and voice, as well as mixed winds and brass in a variety of chamber settings, and celebrates the gradual and global return to normalcy in the months and years following the Great War. This performance is free, no tickets required.  We had an opportunity to talk about the concert with Staff Sergeant Justin Polybank, who works with the U.S. Army Band, about the upcoming concert, and its importance.

How did you come across the story and pieces of the Les Six?

Having studied Music History for several semesters throughout college and graduate school, I was aware of this group of French composers as well as their time and place of activity. Many of the works produced by Les Six during the years immediately following the end of the war are standard chamber music repertoire to this very day. Realizing earlier in 2018 that we were coming up on the Centennial Anniversary of Armistice Day, I found a renewed interest in their story and music that eventually led to the curation of this program.

What is your favorite piece from the concert that will be played?

My favorite piece on the concert is a work that was published as ‘L’album des Six’ in 1920. The work is a collection of short pieces for solo piano; one from each of the six composers. It’s my favorite because the individual personalities and compositional voices of each of the composers is presented in bite-size portions to the listener. It’s the perfect encapsulation of their cultural movement and a joy to hear in performance.

Is there anything you uncovered from doing this concert just on Les Six's pieces?

The most educational aspect of curating and researching this program was better understanding the historic revival of the Montparnasse district of Paris as an international hub of Post-War art. It truly became a symbol of global healing in the months and years following the war, and I find this to be a very important overarching message within the program itself.

 Did you have any family members who fought in World War I?

My great-grandfather enlisted in the Army and was preparing to go to war, but a training accident exposed him to one of the chemical weapons being used in the fighting, and he fell very ill. He passed away in a Veteran’s Hospital a few years after the accident in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

Madison Menz is a Fall 2018 Intern with the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission.

This concert is being helped in part by the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission, the Washington Accueil Association, and the Embassy of France.
The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" has maintained a tradition of excellence as the premier musical organization of the U.S. Army since 1922, and continues to play an important role providing a musical backdrop to events of national and international significance in the Nation's Capital. Members of Pershing's Own also enrich and engage the community through creative programs that highlight the elite musicians of the organization in a wide variety of chamber music settings.

For more information about The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” please visit us at www.usarmyband.com or www.facebook.com/usarmyband

(Above and below) Images of the U.S. Army's special chamber ensemble, Pershing's Own Chamber Players,