IN THEIR HONOR: The Band’s concert was a tribute to Rehnquist and O’Connor. Courtesy LSJUMB

The Stanford Band assembled for an impromptu tribute to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist in Washington, D.C. The Band was on Capitol Hill for a concert after its appearance at the football team’s September 10 season opener against the Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis, Md. Inspired by the death of Rehnquist, ’48, MA ’48, JD ’52, and the announced retirement of Sandra Day O’Connor, ’50, JD ’52, the band performed “Hail, Stanford, Hail” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” in front of the Supreme Court building. It was the first time its arrangement of the national anthem had been played outside Stanford Stadium since 1963, when it was created to mark the passing of President John F. Kennedy.

Though subdued and respectful, the Band couldn’t avoid a run-in with authorities. A security guard requested that it move to the sidewalk across the street, prompting the Band’s final number, “Hey, Big Brother.”