April 22, 2009

A Tenth Anniversary Celebration for Northern Michigan Brass Band

The Northern Michigan Brass Band (NMiBB) will present a pair of concerts in celebration of its Tenth Anniversary on May 24 in Peterman Auditorium at Elk Rapids High School, and on June 7 in Trinity Episcopal Church in Alpena. Both programs will begin at 3:00 P.M.

This 30 piece, British-style ensemble will perform a program that will present much of the same music it played on it's Debut Concerts, also in Elk Rapids and Alpena, in 1999. The featured soloists are Eb cornetist Bradley S. Moors, former Cornet Section Leader of the US Army Brass Band (Pershing's Own) in Washington DC performing Concertino in Eb by Ernst Sachse, and trombonist Dr. Edward R. Bahr, Professor Emeritus of Low Brass at Delta State University in Mississippi performing Arthur Pryor's The Blue Bells of Scotland.

Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens. Tickets are available online at www.TREATickets.com and at the door. The program will open with a Fanfare for the North American Brass Band Association by James Curnow followed by a march written by the American composer Zo Elliot for the British Eighth Army, and A Moorside Suite by Gustav Holst. The first half of the program will conclude with the Sachse Concertino and William Himes' beautiful contemporary setting of Amazing Grace. After intermission, the band will continue with Washington Grays, a march by Claudio Grafulla, The Blue Bells of Scotland by Arthur Pryor, and A Steven Foster Fantasy, a medley of his most familiar melodies. Concluding the program is John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever.

The all-volunteer NMiBB has attracted enthusiastic adult brass players from across northern Michigan, including Traverse City, Alpena, Mackinaw City, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Mancelona, Central Lake, East Jordan, Onaway, Beulah and Gaylord. According to Conductor Ralph Schweigert, "Many of our members are current or retired school band directors and professional players, but we also have doctor, lawyers, classroom teachers, secretaries and businessmen. What they all have in common is talent and a desire to make music at a very sophisticated level." Since the band was organized in 1999, it has presented over 70 concerts in various venues throughout northern Michigan. More information about NMiBB can be found on its website at www.northernmichiganbrassband.org.

NMiBB is also a 501(c)(3) organization and is eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

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