Glinka’s ever-popular overture to Ruslan and Lyudmilla sets the stage for a journey through the wind band repertoire that includes one of its cornerstones, Theme and Variations by Arnold Schoenberg. After this densely orchestrated masterwork, the listener can relax with the charming Suite in D by Arthur Bird, which was commissioned by flutist Claude Paul Taffenel. The full wind band returns with a suite written by British composer Guy Woolfenden, and then moves to Holsinger’s To Tame the Perilous Skies, a programmatic composition that depicts two opposing forces colliding in battle. The finale is one of the great marches by Sousa, here performed with an altered orchestration that reflects Sousa’s own live performances.