LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Virginia –
Unique -- one word that sums up the Heritage of the Air Force Band’s newest ensemble.
The five Heritage Aire Celtic Ensemble members are the only musicians assigned to the Air Force band who are dedicated to Celtic music. They are the only Air Force personnel authorized to wear the Billy Mitchell tartan since the Air Force pipe and drum corps in Washington D.C. was disbanded in 1964.
But one word does not do these five Airmen justice.
According to their commander, Maj. Douglas Monroe, each performer is extremely talented in his or her own right, whether playing classical pieces with the concert band, cranking out tunes in the rock band, or bringing a show to life with fast-paced, up-tempo Celtic songs.
“This group is very emotional about performances,” Major Monroe. “They love being in the group and they bring those feelings every time they play.”
They have received accolades since their debut performance during the “Holidays, Past and Present” concert series in December 2004.
Hundreds of hours were spent listening to Celtic music, practicing individually and as a group and making sure everything was perfect, but it was not until that first performance that they knew everything was coming together.
“We hoped we had the correct sound and feel,” said flutist Staff Sgt. Sherry Burt. “After that first performance we knew we had it nailed.”
Normally, these classically trained musicians play with the Heritage of America’s concert band. In 2004, Sergeant Burt and oboe player Master Sgt. David Boone pitched the idea of a Celtic ensemble to the band commander.
Really, they could not have pitched the idea to a better person. Major Monroe grew up in Livonia, Mich., where his parents, both amateur pianists, listened to their native music of Scotland and Ireland.
“I’m three quarters Irish-Scottish,” he said. “I loved the idea.”
Major Monroe said the Air Force band demonstrates the cultural diversity of America. Each of the band’s 12 ensembles represents a different genre. The Heritage Aire Celtic Ensemble is no different.
It represents those immigrants who came over from England, Ireland and Scotland to make a better life for themselves in America, according to Major Monroe. Bluegrass music has its roots in the Celtic style.
Celtic music is fun and lively, said Sergeant Burt, “The only thing more fun than listening to it is playing it.”
Soon, the group will be forced to play without the group’s cornerstone. Due to manning issues, guitarist Master Sgt. Ballard Eldon Sully is scheduled to move into a position with the rock group in the spring.
The guitarist is the ensembles backbone, the person who sets the rhythm and tone of each song, according to Sergeant Burt. Sergeant Sully will be hard to replace because of his intimate knowledge of the guitar and the DAGAD style of tuning.
“DADGAD or D modal tuning gets its name from the tuning of the guitar strings. Instead of the standard EADGBE tuning (low to high strings), the guitar is tuned to D-A-D-G-A-D. This is done by tuning the first and sixth strings down a whole tone from E to D, and tuning the second string down a whole tone from B to A,” according to the Wikipedia Web site.
Although the style was popularized by Davy Graham in the 1950s, it can also be heard on Led Zeppelins’ first self titled album where guitarist Jimmy Paige uses this guitar tuning to perform Black Mountain Side.
Luckily, another unique quality of the Celtic ensemble is its ability to adapt with the amount of musicians available.
“That is the cool thing about this group,” Sergeant Burt said. “In a woodwind quintet, you have five specific woodwind instruments. In our ensemble, we could have anywhere from three to seven musicians playing a range of instruments.”
No matter what instruments are brought into the Celtic ensemble, the guitarist will be hard to replace. The other four members of the ensemble recognize Sergeant Sully’s talents and know it will be difficult once the jovial and talented sergeant is gone.
But the show must go on and Heritage Aire Celtic Ensemble has venues that must be played.
The style, the fun and the people that make up this group truly make it one of a kind.
Billy Mitchell Tartan
In the early 1960, the commander of the Air Force Band Washington DC, Colonel George Howard, wanted to get the USAF Pipe Band into an official Scottish uniform.
Gen. Curtis Lemay authorized the ware of a Kilt.
Since Billy Mitchell is considered the grandfather of the Air Force and his lineage can be traced back to Scotland and a sect of the Innis Clan, Tech. Sgt. Melvin Ross persuaded officials to go with the Innis Tartan.
Chief Warrant Officer Louis Kriebel traveled to Scotland to make arrangements for the Kilts.
When the vendors found out who they were making the Tartan uniforms for and why, they designed a Mitchell Tartan, similar to the popular Hunter and Russell Tartans.
“If there is a difference,” Sergeant Boone said, “it is only by one thread.”
The USAF Pipe Band received the Tartan in the summer of 1960.