Photo By Cpl. Nathanuel Mansfield | The Royal Australian Navy band and U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band play brass instruments...... read more read more
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The Pacific Partnership Band, made up of Sailors from the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band and The Royal Australian Navy Band, performed a live concert at the Holy Cross Cathedral in Honiara, Solomon Islands on Nov. 21, 2023 for a host nation outreach event during Pacific Partnership 2024-1.
Able Seaman Maggie James, a singer for the Royal Australian Navy Band, sang alongside Musician 1st Class Brent Mitchell, a singer for the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band, as they played for the crowd of Solomon Islanders and USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) staff.
“It makes a really big difference to us to be able to actually get out into communities, especially where they might not have as many opportunities as we have at home to be able to see a live performance,” said James. “It makes it feel like we’re really doing something worthwhile out here.”
The Pacific Partnership Band entertained their guests for several hours, playing both local and non-local songs and encouraging an atmosphere of festivities.
“We found that every single place we’ve performed so far there have been people singing along, people dancing along, said James. “Having that sort of community feeling is really beautiful and it feels like we’re all part of something together.”
U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Naya Scott, who came to the concert, said that she had an amazing time at the event. She commented on dancing and interacting with the Solomon Islanders as well as the performances of the brass band and vocalists on stage.
“I think my favorite part was when they were playing songs that the locals knew,” said Scott. “Seeing the smiles on their faces; they were so happy, and hearing one of the locals say we made their day made me feel good inside.”
Peter Daka, a track athlete for Solomon Islands, recalled the band’s rendition of some of the island country’s local songs. He admitted that even he was unfamiliar with the lyrics to one song, and complimented the band for their vocals.
“They did it in a very good way; it was clear and nice, said Daka. “I really liked it when they sang those local songs. They did great.”
The Pacific Partnership mission team aboard USNS Mercy has made stops in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands, and expects to continue on to mission stops in Palau and the Federation States of Micronesia. Experts in the fields of engineering, medicine and disaster response will partner with each host to conduct civic-action projects, community health exchanges, medical symposiums and disaster response training activities.
Pacific Partnership began in response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters, the December 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of Southeast Asia. The mission has evolved over the years from emphasis on direct care to an operation focused on enhancing partnerships through host nation subject matter expert and civil-military exchanges.
| Date Taken: | 11.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.28.2023 01:54 |
| Story ID: | 458516 |
| Location: | SB |
| Web Views: | 121 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pacific Partnership 24-1 Band Performs in the Solomon Islands, by CPL Anthony Martinez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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