US Navy Musicians To Awe Pinoy With Free Concert In Manila

US Navy musicians who are part of the crew of the USNS Mercy will perform a free concert Monday 22 May 2006 in Manila's Robinson Place Mall.

Music lovers are invited to another free public concert by the United States Navy Showband. The band, which is coming to the Philippines with the U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy, boasts 16 talented Navy musicians who have toured internationally to places as diverse as Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

The band performs popular music and never fails to entertain crowds of all ages with its rousing sounds.

The band is part of the crew of the USNS Mercy, a hospital ship that was last deployed to Southeast Asia following the December 2004 tsunami. In addition to disaster response, Mercy provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Alor, Indonesia; Dili, East Timor; and Papua New Guinea.

This is the first time a Navy Band has deployed aboard a hospital ship, and it is the first deployment to Asia for this group of musicians, who are part of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet Band.

Carrying on the proud tradition of Navy Music, the Atlantic Fleet Band continues to be an outstanding representative of the pride and professionalism of the United States Navy.

The band presented a free public concert on May 21 on Roxas Boulevard, and performs today at Robinson Place Mall.

An additional performance has been arranged for Tuesday, May 23 at Glorietta Mall in Makati City. The concert will take place at 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Central Court of the mall.

USNS Mercy is returning to the Western Pacific region and Southeast Asia as part of a five-month humanitarian tour to work together with friends and partners to help the people of the region.

USNS Mercy can provide various medical and dental services, and has special medical equipment and a team of multi-specialized medical professionals to provide services ashore and on board the ship.

For more information about the Atlantic Fleet Band,

visit their web site at

http://www.cffc.navy.mil/band

and for information about the USNS Mercy’s visit to the Philippines,

visit http://philippines.usembassy.gov.