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Lincoln Area Music Society
presents its Spring Concert
[April 30, 2026]
The Lincoln Area Music Society
(LAMS) presented its Spring Concert on April 25 and 26 in the
Lincoln Community High School auditorium highlighting distinctly
American musical genres in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.
Master of Ceremonies Keith Snyder welcomed the audience to the
concert and introduced each song of the performance. The LAMS
orchestra, conducted by Calob Pluhm, began the concert with
“American Visions” written by Travis J. Weller in honor of his
father, a Vietnam War veteran, and containing recognizable strains
of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” Next the orchestra performed the
widely-interpreted jazz standard, “Autumn Leaves.” Built on a cycle
of descending fifths, this song provides an ideal framework for
improvisation and has been performed by musicians from Nat King Cole
to Barbra Streisand to Willie Nelson. The orchestra concluded the
first portion of their concert with “American Salute.” Based on the
well-known folk tune “When Johnny Come Marching Home Again,” Morton
Gould composed this patriotic work in 1942 during World War II.
The LAMS Chorale, directed by Dr.
Dinelle Frankland and accompanied by Julie Kasa, substituting for
regular LAMS accompanist Kay Dobson, began their performance with
“Zion’s Walls,” an American folk song also known as “Revivalist
Song” and credited to John G. McCurry in 1855. The Chorale performed
a four-part arrangement of this tune by Glenn Koponen. They followed
this song with “Were You There?,” an African-American spiritual
first published in a collection called “Old Plantation Hymns” in
1899. In 1940, it became the first African American spiritual to be
published in a major American hymnal. The Chorale finished their
first half of the concert with a scat-sung version of Scott Joplin’s
ragtime classic, “The Entertainer,” arranged for four-part choir by
Andy Beck.
LAMS president Jennifer Gillum
delivered some remarks and thanks and then the orchestra began the
second half of the concert with “Comedy Classics,” a medley of
classic sitcom theme songs including “Happy Days," The Brady Bunch,”
“The Beverly Hillbillies,” Bewitched,” “The Addams Family,” and “I
Love Lucy.” This medley was followed by “Baby Elephant Walk” by
Henry Mancini which was featured in the 1962 film "Hatari!” starring
John Wayne. They finished with “Highlights from Beauty and the
Beast,” a compilation of famous melodies from Disney’s 1991 cartoon.
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The Chorale took the stage for
the second portion of their performance beginning with
“Favorites from ‘The Rat Pack’” featuring “You’re Nobody ‘Til
Somebody Loves You,” "Everybody Loves Somebody,” and “Come Fly
with Me.” They continued with “I Love Rock ‘n Roll Medley” as a
nod to this classic American genre, and concluded their set with
Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a Changin,’” illustrating music
as peaceful protest.
The finale of the concert featured the orchestra and choir
performing together the patriotic anthem “America,” an
arrangement of “America the Beautiful,” written by professor,
poet, and writer Katharine Lee Bates in 1893 upon observing the
expansive view from Pike’s Peak on a visit to Colorado. After
publication as a poem, Samuel A. Ward wrote the music for it and
this version was arranged by Mary McDonald. Former LAMS Chorale
members in the audience were invited to come to the stage and
sing together this beloved patriotic number.
The LAMS Spring Concert was sponsored by ME Realty, Culver’s of
Lincoln, Eaton Corporation, Heartland Bank, Guesthouse Coffee
and Pastries, Donald and Darlene Begolka of Begolka Farms, Chris
Coyne of State Farm Insurance, El Mazatlan, Jake’s Furnishings,
Andy Fitzpatrick of Pacesetter Financial Group, Sorrento’s,
Abbott and Associates, Max-In Tune Piano Services, as well as
many community patrons and other local businesses. LAMS is
composed entirely of volunteers, and both the orchestra and the
chorale welcome new members. Rehearsals for the winter season
begin in the fall. Please contact lincolnareamusicsociety@gmail.com
for more information. Be sure to mark your calendars for the
Summer Band Concerts at Latham Park on Sundays at 7 p.m. during
the month of June.
LAMS Spring Concert photo slideshow
LAMS performs 'American
Salute' video
[Stephanie Hall]
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