Reminder: The Milwaukee Festival Brass Christmas Concert is this afternoon at 3 PM in Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College, about 88th and Wisconsin.
Two more concerts are coming up in this Holiday season and they both look like a lot of fun.
The first is in Wauwatosa. The Wauwatosa Community Band presents Christmas On Broadway, combining the sounds of the season with music from some wonderful Broadway Shows. The concert begins at 7:30 this Tuesday December 16th at Longfellow Middle School in Wauwatosa, the corner of 76th Street and North Avenue. Tickets are $5, $3 for seniors and students and can be purchased at the door.
Some of the Broadway shows represented include Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, and West Side Story. The Christmas music includes one of my classical favorites, the Troika from Prokofiev's Lt. Kije Suite, as well as Leroy Anderson's Christmas Festival, maybe one of the best medley's of Christmas music written for band. (If you're not familiar with this arrangement, I have one thing to suggest for you listen for. Toward the end of the piece, Anderson completes Jingle Bells and goes into O Come All Ye Faithful. But if you listen carefully, you'll hear the low brass performing Faithful, and the trumpets (in the background) continuing on Jingle Bells. In fact, Anderson used the Jingle Bells rhythm in the background during the big ending. And yet it works...wonderfully! Keep an ear out for that one!
The second concert is Horns A Plenty Christmas performed by the Fox Valley Horn Choir, Saturday December 20th in Appleton, at the City Center Plaza Mall, 200 East Washington Street, across and up the street from the Paper Vally Hotel. The concert begins at 1 PM and if you would like to sit and listen to the concert, be sure to BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR! The chairs that the mall has will be used for the nearly 100 French Horn players who will perform. They literally take up the entire center court of the mall!
This concert was a big success last year, not only for the wonderful music, but also because the Fox Valley Horns set a Guinness World Record for the number of horn players performing in a Christmas Concert. This year they intend to break their own record.
And the concert will have a special guest. Bill Barnewitz from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will be there, and will bring copies of his CD, proceeds of which benefit research on Parkinson's Disease. Wonderful music, a CD that would make a great stocking stuffer, all a few days before Christmas. It doesn't get any better than that.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
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!
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!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Holiday Concert Calendar and More!
The Holiday season is upon us! In this post I have the schedule of all the Holiday concerts that I am aware of. If you have one that I do not, add a comment with that information, so that we all can have a complete calendar.
But before the calendar, here is some very neat news. Last Holiday season, the Saturday before Christmas, the Fox Valley Horn Choir performed in Appleton. They invited horn players from around the state to join them. Their goal was 100 players, but they were a bit shy of that goal...they had 87 players performing. However, the list and pictures were sent in to the Guinness World Records organization anyway.
The director, Don Krause (hrntchr on U-Tube), received a reply from the Guinness people a few weeks ago. The Guinness people have recognized last December's performance as the largest Horn Choir performing Christmas Music and have sent a certificate of achievement. Congratulations to all of the performers. And be sure to set your calendar for Saturday December 20th at the College Avenue Mall in Appleton for this year's concert, where we may see a new record! Here's the link to their web site for more information: http://www.foxvalleyhorns.com/.
And before that, the Horn Choir is performing this Thursday the 4th with the Fox Valley Symphony for their Holiday Pops concert. Here's the link for more information: http://www.foxvalleysymphony.com/season_calendar/
One more honor for the Fox Valley Horn Choir: they have been invited to play at the 2009 International Horn Society Symposium in June to be held at Western Illinois University. Quite the honor, congratulations!
Finally, here is the Holiday Concert Calendar, all dates in December. Be sure to add a comment if I missed one that you know of. Thanks.
7 - Menomonee Falls Symphony perform the Sing Along Messiah at St. Sebastian's Church in Milwaukee at 2 PM
12 - Waukesha Area Symphonic Band performs their Christmas Concert at 7:30 at Shattuck Auditorium
14 - Milwaukee Festival Brass perform O Christmas Brass at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall
14 - Lakeshore Symphonic Band perform their Christmas Concert at 7:30 PM at the Basilica of Holy Hill in Hubertus
14 - Milwaukee American Legion Band performs their Christmas Concert at 3 PM at Milwaukee Lutheran High School
16 - The Wauwatosa Community Band performs their Christmas Concert at 7:30 PM at Longfellow Middle School
20 - Horns A Plenty Christmas in the College Avenue Mall in Appleton at 1 PM. Bring your own chair, the place gets crowded.
Happy Holidays!
But before the calendar, here is some very neat news. Last Holiday season, the Saturday before Christmas, the Fox Valley Horn Choir performed in Appleton. They invited horn players from around the state to join them. Their goal was 100 players, but they were a bit shy of that goal...they had 87 players performing. However, the list and pictures were sent in to the Guinness World Records organization anyway.
The director, Don Krause (hrntchr on U-Tube), received a reply from the Guinness people a few weeks ago. The Guinness people have recognized last December's performance as the largest Horn Choir performing Christmas Music and have sent a certificate of achievement. Congratulations to all of the performers. And be sure to set your calendar for Saturday December 20th at the College Avenue Mall in Appleton for this year's concert, where we may see a new record! Here's the link to their web site for more information: http://www.foxvalleyhorns.com/.
And before that, the Horn Choir is performing this Thursday the 4th with the Fox Valley Symphony for their Holiday Pops concert. Here's the link for more information: http://www.foxvalleysymphony.com/season_calendar/
One more honor for the Fox Valley Horn Choir: they have been invited to play at the 2009 International Horn Society Symposium in June to be held at Western Illinois University. Quite the honor, congratulations!
Finally, here is the Holiday Concert Calendar, all dates in December. Be sure to add a comment if I missed one that you know of. Thanks.
7 - Menomonee Falls Symphony perform the Sing Along Messiah at St. Sebastian's Church in Milwaukee at 2 PM
12 - Waukesha Area Symphonic Band performs their Christmas Concert at 7:30 at Shattuck Auditorium
14 - Milwaukee Festival Brass perform O Christmas Brass at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall
14 - Lakeshore Symphonic Band perform their Christmas Concert at 7:30 PM at the Basilica of Holy Hill in Hubertus
14 - Milwaukee American Legion Band performs their Christmas Concert at 3 PM at Milwaukee Lutheran High School
16 - The Wauwatosa Community Band performs their Christmas Concert at 7:30 PM at Longfellow Middle School
20 - Horns A Plenty Christmas in the College Avenue Mall in Appleton at 1 PM. Bring your own chair, the place gets crowded.
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
My computer will be down until next week Monday at the earliest. So, I apologize that the normal Sunday post will be on Monday or Tuesday next week.
Until then have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving Holiday. We have much to be thankful for...including all the musicians who volunteer their time to make music in our community groups. And the people who help those groups continue to operate. And all the people I'm forgetting!
Happy Thanksgiving!! :-)
Until then have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving Holiday. We have much to be thankful for...including all the musicians who volunteer their time to make music in our community groups. And the people who help those groups continue to operate. And all the people I'm forgetting!
Happy Thanksgiving!! :-)
Friday, November 21, 2008
A busy weekend ahead
Well, it's Friday evening. Normally I post something on Sunday morning (or sometime Sunday if I'm late). But this post goes out on Friday evening because this weekend will be filled to the brim.
Tomorrow I'll be coordinating the dress rehearsal for the Knightwind Ensemble concert on Sunday. I'll start in the morning and won't finish until well after sunset.
On Sunday, we begin about lunch time and finish about 7 PM. A full day to say the least.
So, not much to put in the post this evening. I hope to see you on Sunday. I'll be at the ticket table before the concert, so stop by and say Hi. If you bring the concert announcement from the Knightwind web site, you'll get $1 off all of the adult tickets in your party. Here's the link: www.knightwind.org.
I'll have a post for the Christmas concerts the Sunday after Thanksgiving, including two special performances by the Fox Valley Horn Choir. And one of them might be a record breaker!
See you at the Knightwind concert. Be sure to say Hi!
Tomorrow I'll be coordinating the dress rehearsal for the Knightwind Ensemble concert on Sunday. I'll start in the morning and won't finish until well after sunset.
On Sunday, we begin about lunch time and finish about 7 PM. A full day to say the least.
So, not much to put in the post this evening. I hope to see you on Sunday. I'll be at the ticket table before the concert, so stop by and say Hi. If you bring the concert announcement from the Knightwind web site, you'll get $1 off all of the adult tickets in your party. Here's the link: www.knightwind.org.
I'll have a post for the Christmas concerts the Sunday after Thanksgiving, including two special performances by the Fox Valley Horn Choir. And one of them might be a record breaker!
See you at the Knightwind concert. Be sure to say Hi!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The last of the fall concerts
The fall concerts are almost completed. There are two concerts left on the calendar. The first is Friday night at West Allis Hale High School at 116th and Lincoln at 7:30. The Suburban Concert Band will present their concert in the school auditorium. Unfortunately, I do not have any information about the program. But if you have Friday evening open, this is a nice option for you.
The other concert is next Sunday at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall of Wisconsin Lutheran College, 88th and Wisconsin Avenue. The Knightwind Ensemble will present Pastiche, with a number of wonderful works, including a band transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition. As I wrote in an earlier post, the transcription is of the Ravel orchestration, not of the original Moussorgsky piano music. This is one not to miss.
And if you do decide to take in the Knightwind concert, stop by and say hello. I'll be at the ticket table. And if you'd like $1 off your tickets, print out the Knightwind Web Site page with the concert info: www.knightwind.org.
The other concert is next Sunday at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall of Wisconsin Lutheran College, 88th and Wisconsin Avenue. The Knightwind Ensemble will present Pastiche, with a number of wonderful works, including a band transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition. As I wrote in an earlier post, the transcription is of the Ravel orchestration, not of the original Moussorgsky piano music. This is one not to miss.
And if you do decide to take in the Knightwind concert, stop by and say hello. I'll be at the ticket table. And if you'd like $1 off your tickets, print out the Knightwind Web Site page with the concert info: www.knightwind.org.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The fall concert season is almost completed...
The calendar shows that the Suburban Concert Band performs on the 21st, and the Knightwind Ensemble performs on the 23rd. Those are the last two concerts of the fall season that I have information on. After Thanksgiving, I'll have a quick summary of all of the concerts between Thanksgiving and New Years. The Holidays almost have a concert schedule of their own. One thing about community music groups in this area: if you have nothing to do over a weekend, the community groups offer many opportunities. And if you do nothing over that weekend, you only have yourself to blame!
Just a note...I attended the performance last night by the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra. A nice performance was witnessed by a good sized audience. I especially liked seeing the many families in the audience. Getting children exposed to classical music in a family setting can plant the seed for the future. And to me, that's one of the beauties of community music groups: the seed is planted and when they become adults, there is a better chance they will attend classical concerts and arts performances in general. Community groups definitely improve the quality of our life in the Milwaukee area. (And if the economy gets any worse, the community groups offer those arts at a much reduced cost...)
Just a note...I attended the performance last night by the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra. A nice performance was witnessed by a good sized audience. I especially liked seeing the many families in the audience. Getting children exposed to classical music in a family setting can plant the seed for the future. And to me, that's one of the beauties of community music groups: the seed is planted and when they become adults, there is a better chance they will attend classical concerts and arts performances in general. Community groups definitely improve the quality of our life in the Milwaukee area. (And if the economy gets any worse, the community groups offer those arts at a much reduced cost...)
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