Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Northwinds Symphonic Band will continue its annual tradition of honoring America’s veterans with a free concert on Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. at the Wunsch Arts Center in Glen Cove, featuring a patriotic program and a special tribute to U.S. Army veteran Scott Whitting.
The performance, titled “A Tribute to Our Veterans,” will take place under the direction of Conductors Helen P. Bauer and Brandon Bromsey. Bauer said that although the concert is always a salute to military service, the music itself changes each year to keep the event meaningful.
“First of all, we play a different repertoire at each concert,” Bauer said. “It will be different music, except for the patriotic ones that everybody wants to hear, like ‘God Bless America’ and ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever.’ We try to have an interesting mix of music.”
This year’s selections include “March of the Women Marines,” composed in 1943 for the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, and the “Armed Forces Medley,” which acknowledges each branch of the U.S. military. Other highlights include “The Light Eternal,” written in honor of four World War II chaplains who sacrificed their lives, and stirring American classics “Variations on ‘America’” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
Broadway vocalist Karen Murphy and tenor Joe Stroppel will also join the ensemble, contributing their voices to music by revered American composers Harold Arlen and Irving Berlin.
Planning the performance requires months of preparation. Bauer said selecting the repertoire alone takes several hours before the ensemble even begins rehearsals. The band began preparing for the show in mid-September and continues to rehearse weekly.
“Celebratory,” Bauer said of the concert’s atmosphere. “Celebrating our veterans and the wonderful things that they do, and also an afternoon of enjoying beautiful music.We program a wide variety of music which takes the listener to many different emotional places, and that’s what a concert should do.”
In addition to honoring all veterans, the band will spotlight Major Scott Whitting, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran of the Vietnam War who received the Soldier’s Medal and the Bronze Star. Whitting later served in the New York Guard and has long been active as a lifetime member of the Glenwood Fire Company and through other civic roles.
Whitting’s dedication to service will be further recognized in February, when he receives the Tribute & Honor Foundation’s Legacy Award at its annual gala. The organization, along with The Herald and other local partners, is sponsoring the Nov. 9 concert.
Whitting’s daughter, Carolyn Wilson, said that although her father has become quieter with age, his humor remains a defining part of who he is. “As he's gotten older, he's definitely very quiet and introspective, but it's still there,” she said.
Born in Glen Cove, Whitting grew up in Sea Cliff, where his family operated the original funeral home on Sea Cliff Avenue. He continued the family tradition, while staying deeply committed to local organizations including Kiwanis, the American Legion, and the Glenwood Fire Department.
Wilson said her father volunteered for the Army, becoming a Green Beret medic and a combat paratrooper who worked closely with indigenous communities during his deployment. “He will tell everybody that his fake name is Scott and his real name is Geronimo,” she added.
Whitting turns 83 on Nov. 28.
The Herald is among the event’s community sponsors, supporting the concert’s mission to honor local veterans. Wunsch Arts Center is located at Robert Finley Middle School, 1 Forest Ave., Glen Cove. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call (516) 375-4957 or email helenpbauer@gmail.com.
