TO OUR READERS: Army band and chorus sold out -

The combination of spit-and-polish patriotic music and free tickets has struck a chord from LaPush to Port Townsend. All the tickets are gone, or committed, for performance of the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus in the Port Angeles High School Auditorium from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, March 27.

Sponsored by the Peninsula Daily News, the event ``has been a huge hit with PDN readers, so much so that more than 900 free tickets were distributed by mail and in person between Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon,'' said John Brewer, the newspaper's editor and publisher.

``Unfortunately, only 1,100 people can fit inside the auditorium comfortably. We're now in the process of distributing the few tickets that we have left -- in the order that we received the ticket requests.''

While the concert is now sold out, there may be a limited number of unclaimed seats available on the night of the performance. Those with tickets must be seated by 6:45 p.m.

Brewer also asked any ticket holders with extra tickets to return them to the PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles 98362, so they can be used by other readers.

Based in Washington, D.C., and known as the ``musical ambassadors of the Army,'' the Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus are touring the Northwest and West Coast this spring, making them available for the community concert sponsored by the PDN.

The two groups will present a diverse performance from patriotic melodies to classical and contemporary sounds.

``It's a family event, and it has attracted everyone from people with past military service to the young kids in area bands and choirs,'' Brewer said.