Taoyuan, Oct. 9 (CNA) Members of the University of California at Los Angeles’ (UCLA) Bruin Marching Band arrived in Taiwan on Monday to perform at the country’s National Day celebrations on Oct. 10.
The group of 127 students and 12 teachers, drawn from the 250-member UCLA ensemble, were greeted on arrival by members of the General Association for Chinese Culture (GACC) and the government’s National Day preparatory committee.
GACC Secretary General Lee Hou-ching (李厚慶) said the UCLA band and a wind ensemble from Tokyo University of Agriculture’s Second High School were invited to participate in this year’s National Day to symbolize Taiwan’s friendly relations with the United States and Japan, respectively.
In addition to their performances, the two bands will also interact with members of the Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School Marching Band and the Republic of China Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Band on Monday in the main plaza of the National Theater and Concert Hall in Taipei, Lee said.
According to the GACC, the UCLA Bruin Marching Band will kick off its performance Tuesday with renditions of “Bruin Fanfare” and also “Strike up the Band for UCLA,” which was specially written for the university in 1936 by the American composer George Gershwin.
The band will then perform a medley of hits by the late American Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, before concluding with “The Mighty Bruin,” a song by the Oscar-winning composer Bill Conti, the GACC said.
During their visit in Taiwan, the UCLA band members will also travel to Chiayi to tour the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, the Cou Veoveoana Cultural and Creative Park and Fengtian Temple, at the invitation of Chayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang (翁章梁).
