Season Preview: Milwaukee Festival Brass

I received a letter from the Milwaukee Festival Brass describing their 2016-17 season.  Maestro Mark Taylor did a nice job outlining the season and their ambitious goals.  I thought you would like to see it.  Be sure to mark their concerts on your calendar - they all look good to me.

Here is the letter:

Dear Friends of Milwaukee Festival Brass,

Welcome to the 32^nd Season of the Milwaukee Festival Brass!  After the excitement of bringing home another championship from the North American Brass Band Association (our first one was in 1991!), we are eager to continue our mission of making exceptional brass band music in Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin. 

We kick off the season with a concert sure to delight the young and the young at heart - “Brass Band Animated.”  Classic scores from animated movies and television cartoons will leap from the stage, and you will be transported back to those thrilling days of yesteryear.

Our traditional Holiday concert extravaganza will feature new selections as well as old favorites to welcome in a season of joy, gratitude, and family.  This year’s program takes on added significance, as the band embarks on a project to record its first-ever compact disc release.  The holiday-themed album will include selections from this year’s December program.

In February, the band’s winter program “Top Brass,” will provide a glimpse of the pieces we are preparing to perform in our return campaign to the North American Championships in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as we highlight the brass band’s technical prowess.  Later that month, we invite you to join us in Milton, Wisconsin, for Brass at the Border III, featuring performances by our friends in the Madison, Illinois, and Chicago brass bands.

In April, “Impressions of New Zealand” will allow us to transport you to a land that served as a backdrop for “The Lord of the Ring” movies. It will feature traditional melodies as well as contemporary works by New Zealand composers.  This concert will once again provide a spotlight for our exciting High School Apprentice Program.

As Milwaukee’s only British Brass Band, we relish our role as musical ambassadors for this great and vibrant city. In keeping with our mission of supporting the musical education of our area’s youth, we will continue to travel to a number of area schools to perform as guest artists in their band concerts.

We look forward to seeing you soon.  You won’t want to miss a moment of this fantastic season!

Warm Regards,

Mark A. Taylor

Music Director