MC Bands’ busy slate includes Symphonic Winds tour, jazz concerts, Fourth of July parade

MC Bands will provide generations' worth of music throughout Mississippi College's bicentennial year.

From the Symphonic Winds concert in Swor Auditorium on March 1 through the MC Marching Band’s televised performance in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C., Mississippi College bands are embarking on their busiest semester in memory.

That’s just the way Duval Salvant likes it. MC’s director of bands believes a great way to celebrate the University’s Bicentennial year is through music.

“When you’ve got 200 years of history under your belt, you’ve got to celebrate it,” Salvant said. “We’ll be playing centuries’ and generations’ worth of music this spring and promoting not just Mississippi College, but the United States.”

In recognition of MC’s bicentennial, the MC Department of Music commissioned James Sclater, former longtime music faculty member, to compose a “Bicentennial March” that the band will debut at its combined concert on April 19 and play during its July 4 performance in Washington, D.C.

But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. Here is a list of band performances on tap for spring 2026:

Symphonic Winds Spring Tour

Friday, Feb. 27

Saint Joseph Catholic School, Madison and Jackson Academy

Thursday, March 5

Clinton High School

Symphonic Winds, MC’s premier wind ensemble, will complete its annual spring tour by performing at three local high schools.

“We want to make sure that our community gets to hear us, and that students have the opportunity to see us perform,” Salvant said. “We’ll be able to play our concert out on the road, which is beneficial for our student performers.”

The performance will include an eclectic mix with older and newer selections. Anchoring them will be a Ralph Vaughan Williams standard, “Prelude on Three Welsh Hymn Tunes,” a set of three recognizable hymns.

“It’s a very intense, impactful piece,” Salvant said. “Everything will be focused around that.”

He said the entire concert won’t be as heavy. Symphonic Winds will also perform more lighthearted selections, such as Ron Nelson’s “Courtly Airs and Dances” and David Maslanka’s “Rollo Takes a Walk.”

Symphonic Winds Concert

3 p.m., Sunday, March 1

Swor Auditorium in Nelson Hall

Symphonic Winds will return to MC’s campus to perform its touring selections for a home audience in Clinton.

“After going on tour, we’ll be excited to perform for our family and friends,” Salvant said.

Jazz Band Concert: Songs of the Decades, Part Two

Tuesday, March 24

Entergy Theater, Gore Arts Complex

Back for the second half of its “Songs of the Decades” concert series, the MC Jazz Band will perform selections of popular numbers.

Wayne Linehan, MC adjunct faculty, will select the repertoire and direct the performance, which will include a powerful trombone section with fast-paced hits from popular bandleaders Charlie Parker and Glenn Miller all the way to the fusion funk of contemporary stars like the Tower of Power.

“We’ll hit a few charts that people haven’t heard, but there will be plenty of standards,” Salvant said.

Jazz band on the Brick Streets

Friday, April 17

Olde Towne Clinton

MC’s Jazz Band will reprise its fan-favorite repertoire for the annual concert on the brick streets of Olde Towne Clinton. One of the most anticipated performances of the spring, attendees can enjoy an evening of jazz while shopping or dining outdoors, weather permitting.

MC Choir and MC Band Combined Concert

Sunday, April 19

Alumni Hall

Salvant was a student at Mississippi College the last time the MC Band and the MC Choir joined forces for a combined concert.

This year, he and Beth Everett, MC director of choral activities, will perform a new piece composed by Ben Williams, chair of the MC Department of Music, called “Liturgies for Hope,” inspired by the book, “Liturgies for Hope,” by co-authors Elizabeth Moore, an MC alum, and Audrey Elledge.

“He arranged the music around the text of the book and did three movements,” Salvant said.

In addition, the groups will perform a piece commissioned by Mississippi band directors about the Natchez Trace called “The Trace,” written by Robert Sheldon; a march by American conductor John Phillip Sousa; and selections by Mississippi composers.

National Independence Day Parade

Saturday, July 4

Washington, D.C.

The spring performance schedule will culminate in the Choctaw Marching Band’s performance representing Mississippi in the national parade along historic Constitution Avenue in the nation’s capital. Current and former band members will play Sclater’s “Bicentennial March” and other selections.

“We’re honored to celebrate MC’s bicentennial and the country’s 250th birthday at the same time,” Salvant said. “We’ll be bringing Mississippi College to Washington, D.C.”

Tickets for on-campus performances cost $10 each for general admission, $5 each for students and free for MC faculty, staff and students. Proceeds help support MC’s music ensembles and the trip to Washington, D.C. For more information, visit music.mc.edu/events.