Enjoy!

Whatever Holiday you keep at this time of year, may it bring you happiness.

The next posting on New Years Day will include the Concert Calendar for the rest of the season.  See you then.

The last of the concerts

Don't forget the Milwaukee Festival Brass concert on Sunday December 18 at 3 PM.  The Schwan Concert Hall will be full of good music of the Holiday Season in the British Brass Band tradition.  My favorite is the Three Kings Swing...I'm hoping it is on the program.

But the last, and most important concerts of the Holiday Season, are the concerts that occur in your place of worship at this time of year.  Be sure to enjoy the performances, and thank the musicians who (usually) volunteer their time for these performances.  This is community music at its most basic level.  And I think it improves the overall quality of life in our area!  Enjoy!

The Holiday Home Stretch

The last of the concerts are coming up. The Menomonee Falls Symphony performs it's concert tribute to Andy Williams on the 11th at 3 PM at the Hamilton Fine Arts Center in Sussex. The Milwaukee Festival Brass will perform their concert on the 18th at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. Be sure to take in one of these concerts, they will both be fun and relaxing.

And don't forget the Horns A Plenty Christmas Concert in Appleton at the Fox Valley Lutheran High School on the 17th. Founder Don Krause was interviewed on the Philcast at the end of November, and just this past week was presented with an award of appreciation for his efforts in generating scholarship money for French Horn students. You can see Don's award from the Philcast Picture page. If you can, stop by the Appleton Horns A Plenty Christmas concert because (with a little luck) Phil will formally present the award to Don. And finally, be sure to tune into the Philcast, or at least enjoy the fun via the PodCast links.

Updates

First, the Wauwatosa Community Band has a date for their annual Christmas concert. They will perform sounds of the season on Tuesday December 13 at 7:30 PM in the auditorium at Longfellow Middle School at the corner of 76th and North Avenue. If you are in the area, especially after some hectic shopping at Mayfair, stop by, relax, and enjoy the music. Check their web site for more details.

I have to mention that the Horns A Plenty Christmas Concert at the Marcus Center was very nice. The double octet performance was super, and it was very cool to see so many horn players on stage, from young middle school students to retirees. Bravo to all for a great concert.  Here is a link to the You Tube video of one of the pieces, Christmas Horn Spirit.

Now with that thought in mind, I'll switch gears to talk about the Philcast. Phil Cianciola, late of Milwaukee radio and producer of the PhilCast podcast, is now back on the air in Appleton on WHBY. I mention this with Horns A Plenty Christmas because the HAPC founder, Don Krause, was interviewed on the Philcast on Wednesday November 30th. You can hear that interview by going to the Philcast page on WHBY, clicking the Podcast link, and choosing the 4 PM show segment. Many thanks to Phil and his producer Reggie for helping promote HAPC as it begins to go national!

Hope you had a wonderful Holiday

I know I did. Now I get to hang the Christmas Lights, and provide some news.

First, the Suburban Concert Band Holiday concert has been moved to December 9 from December 16. Thanks to Jim S. for the heads up.

Also, members of the Knightwind Ensemble will perform at Wisconsin Memorial Park for their Holiday Open House on Saturday December 3. The open house will run from noon to 3 PM, with entertainment in the Chapel of the Chimes. The small groups from the Knightwind Ensemble will perform at 1 PM. Click here for more information.

I hope to see you at the Horns A Plenty Christmas concert at the Marcus Center on Tuesday the 29th. I'll be there taking pictures. I did learn that the HAPC concert will include a special piece of Holiday music performed by a French Horn double-octet. Wow - 16 horns! You don't want to miss that one. See you there.

Happy Thanksgiving and a Concert Preview

Before I celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday, I will be selling tickets and working the lobby at the Knightwind Ensemble concert on the 20th. Hope to see you there.

And may you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

On to the concert preview! A special performance of the Horns A Plenty Christmas will occur at 7:30 PM on Tuesday November 29 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. French Horn players from all over the area will perform Christmas and Holiday music in a free concert. The neat thing about this concert is that the proceeds generated from the concert (sales of music books and fees paid by the musicians) will provide scholarships for French Horn players. If you have not heard of Horns A Plenty Christmas, check out their web site. And take time out of your schedule to hear a wonderful concert to get you in the Holiday spirit.

And if you have a conflict on the 29th, another Horns A Plenty Christmas concert will be held in Appleton on December 17.

A look ahead to the Holiday Season

Here is the list of upcoming concerts to celebrate the Holiday Season. If you have others, send me an email or post a response.

CHRISTMAS / HOLIDAY CONCERTS

November
29 - Horns A Plenty Christmas in Milwaukee, 7:30 Marcus Center for the Performing Arts

December
3 - Knightwind Ensemble small groups performing at Wisconsin Memorial Park, 1 PM
9 - Suburban Concert Band, 7:30, Nathan Hale High School
11 - Menomonee Falls Symphony, 3 PM, Sussex Hamilton PAC
16 - Lakeshore Symphonic Band, 6PM, Basilica of Holy Hill
17 - Horns A Plenty Christmas, 2 PM, Appleton, WI
18 - Milwaukee Festival Brass, 3 PM, Wisconsin Lutheran College

And a reminder that the final concert of the fall season is Sunday November 20 when the Knightwind Ensemble perform Masterworks for Winds at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. Check the web site for a special discount on tickets while helping the Hunger Task Force.