Upcoming concerts

Before I get into the upcoming concerts, just a reminder that the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra is performing their Sing Along Messiah this afternoon at 2 PM in St. Sebastian Church. Time to warm up the vocal chords!

There are two concerts coming up to tell you about. The first concert is Friday December 12th at Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University in Waukesha. The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band will present their annual concert of Holiday favorites. The neat thing about this concert is that it features many small ensembles from the band. The last one I attended included music by a brass choir, a flute choir, a woodwind group, and the full band. So, you'll get to hear familiar music in new settings. In the spirit of the season, the $5 admission will be waived if you bring in 5 non-perishable food items for the Waukesha Food Pantry. For more information, please call 262/370-6129.

The second concert is Sunday December 14th featuring the Milwaukee Festival Brass. The concert will commence at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. Dr. Pat Backhaus has planned a very nice Holiday concert, featuring some familiar and some less familiar music.

Their performance of Silent Night will feature Flugelhorn and Tenor Horn players Brian Bolling and Lonna Brooks. For something less familiar, there is Nigel Horn's arrangement of The Boar's Head Carol. Solo E-flat tuba player, Rafael Petrie Da'vila will be featured on Remembrance by Barton Cummings.

The centerpiece of this concert sets the tone of an ancient British court where feasts and music abounded. It is Ralph Vaughan Williams' Henry V and contains The Agincourt Hymn remembering Henry's victory at the city of the same name and a paraphrase of William Byrd's Earl of Oxford's March.

Dr. Pat also hints that there may be some surprises as well.

Both of these concerts will be lots of fun. They will get you in the mood for the Holidays, and get your mind off the snow shoveling!