In the center of Wooldridge Square there is a bandstand. Occasionally, the bandstand is actually used as intended. Today was one of those days. At 2:30 pm, a professionally trained brass quintet took to the bandstand and played an entire hour of music by John Philip Sousa, to the complete delight of all assembled, children included, in this historic natural amphitheater, where the acoustics are excellent and there’s no street noise to be heard.

Among the marches played were “The Washington Post,” “The Liberty Bell,” “El Capitan,” “King Cotton,” “Semper Fidelis,” “Sabre and Spurs,” “U.S. Field Artillery,” “Hands Across the Sea,” and “Gallant Seventh.” We also heard our national anthem and a piece called “The Messiah of Nations.”

This free concert was one of a series of events marking the centennial of the Austin Symphony and the opening of a commemorative exhibit at the Austin History Center (the old library) called “Sounding Together: 100 Years of the Austin Symphony.”