Lee University’s Symphonic Band will present its spring concert on Monday, March 2, at 7 p.m. in the Conn Center, joined by the Cleveland Pops Orchestra and the Northwest Whitfield County High School Band. The performance will mark the final concert conducted by Dr. Mark Bailey before his retirement.
 
“This will be my final concert as conductor of the Lee Symphonic Band as I retire at the end of this semester after more than three decades at Lee,” said Bailey. “It is my hope that this concert will be a meaningful celebration of band music, of both the Symphonic Band and the Cleveland Pops.”
 
The program will feature concert band selections ranging from jazz to worship arrangements, including “Jazz Pizzicato” by Leroy Anderson, “What aWonderful World” by Richard Saucedo, “Alleluia! Laudamus Te” by Alfred Reed, and “God of Our Fathers” by Claude T. Smith. 
 
“The Lee University Symphonic Band has represented Lee around the world for the past 37 years,” said Bailey. “The purpose of this band is very different from other instrumental performing ensembles. The Symphonic Band has developed a reputation as an outstanding performance ensemble that combines superior musicianship with a true sensitivity to the use of music as a vehicle to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
 
The 2026 Symphonic Band is made up of 40 musicians, divided into winds, percussion, rhythm, an added string section, and a vocal ensemble. 
 
“Since 1989, Dr. Mark Bailey has been a vital part of instrumental music at Lee University,” said Dr. Randy Sheeks, dean of Lee’s School of Music. “His passion and devotion to the Symphonic Band are unparalleled in the history of Lee’s School of Music. No one has led more concerts, worship services, and mission trips than Dr. Bailey.”  
 
Bailey has served as a professor in the School of Music for 37 years and has directed Lee University’s Symphonic Band that entire time. His passion for building lasting relationships with the church, the community, and local music education programs has impacted lives on five continents through the ensemble’s many missions trips. He has studied with some of the nation’s best wind conductors, including Eugene Corporon of the University of North Texas and Myron Welch of the University of Iowa, along with others who view instrumental music as an important means of ministry. He is a past president of the Christian Instrumentalists and Directors Association. 
 
The Cleveland Pops, directed by Sarah Pearson, is a community ensemble dedicated to enriching the cultural life of Cleveland, Tennessee, and the surrounding region through live music, service, and education. Now celebrating 20 years of music-making (2006–2026), the Cleveland Pops brings together over 68 active musicians from all walks of life, united by a shared passion for performance and community. Members range in age from 15 to 80 and represent a remarkable cross-section of the community, including retired and current band directors, educators, professionals, students, and retirees.
 
Nathaniel Vanoy, director of the Northwest Whitfield County High School Band and an alumnus of Lee’s Symphonic Band, will perform alongside many of his students at the March 2 concert.
 
This event is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public; however, there will be an opportunity to support the Symphonic Band’s ministry trip this summer. 
 
Livestream viewing will be available at leeu.live. 
 
For more information about the Lee University Symphonic Band or the concert, contact the School of Music at (423) 614-8240.