New web site for one of our groups

Good news.  One of the local community bands, which did not have a web site, now has one.  You can get all kinds of information about the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band at its new web site.  The site has photos of past performances and information about the 2013-14 season.  You can even download a PDF poster for the concert season.

For those of you thinking about joining a community band, the MMCCB rehearses on Sundays at 6 PM in the Wisconsin Lutheran High School band room (about 84th and Bluemound).  For more information on becoming a member, use the Contact Us web page to send a message to the director.

The summer season has ended.  There will be no post on September 1.  Information about playing with different groups for the next season, and the initial calendar of concerts, will post in September.  See you then.

The Racine Concert Summer Series Finale

The last concert of the summer season for the Racine Concert Band is Sunday August 25th at 7 PM.  The band will be joined by soprano Ami Bouterse.  She will perform music of Rogers and Hammerstein and Duke Ellington.  The Band will perform the Liberty Fanfare of John Williams, as well as music of Ives and Gounod.

Since this is the final concert of the series, the Summer Sweepstakes Spectacular will be awarded tonight.  For all entries in the weekly Racine Concert Band Quiz, lucky winners will be chosen for prizes from Racine restaurants, as well as the grand prize, a weekend stay at the Grand Geneva Resort.  If you have been playing along with the quiz at the concerts, you are entered into all the drawings.

I know you will enjoy the concert.  Hopefully you will win one of the prizes!

The Racine Concert Band series continues

You will want to attend the Racine Concert Band performance on Sunday August 18 when the band is joined by former Miss Racine Jeannie Hatfield.  The band will perform music of Mozart and the Emperor Waltz of Johan Strauss.  Ms. Hatfield will perform music of Cole Porter and the Gershwin Brothers.  The fun begins at 7 PM.

Concord Chamber Orchestra is wrapping up the summer season

There are two concerts to tell you about this week.  First, the Racine Concert Band continues its performances at the Racine Zoo on Sunday August 11 at 7 PM.  Mark Eichner, the groups music director, will put down his baton and pick up his trumpet for a solo performance with the group.  Assisting him on the podium will be the current business manager and former director Del Eisch.

The Concord Chamber Orchestra completes its summer series on Wednesday August 14th at Green Park in New Berlin.  The performance begins at 6:30.  If you were unable to attend the previous performances, you want to attend this one.  The summer series is always fun and well performed.

More concerts coming up

Here are a few more concerts for your enjoyment:

• Sunday August 4th at 1:30 in Lions Park in Franklin for the Concord Chamber Orchestra, as their summer concert series continues
• Sunday August 4th at 7 PM in the Racine Zoo.  The Racine Concert Band welcomes mezzo soprano Allison Hull, who will perform music of Bizet and Irving Berlin.  Ms. Hull has performed for a number of years with the band and has amazed the audiences with her immense voice.  You don't want to miss this one.
• Thursday August 8th at 6:30 at the Boerner Botanical Gardens in Whitnall Park for the Concord Chamber Orchestra (in case you could not make the concert in Franklin).

The summer concert series continues.  Enjoy!

Concord Chamber Orchestra summer concerts begin

The first concert of the summer season for the Concord Chamber Orchestra is set for this Wednesday evening July 24 at 7 PM in Wauwatosa's Rotary Pavilion at 73rd and State.  Enjoy a great summer concert in the park with light classics, show tunes, and maybe a march.  A great way to break up the hectic week!

And the CCO will also be performing one week later, July 31 at 6:30 PM in Glendale as a part of Music In The Glen.  That performance will be indoors at Glen Hills Middle School.

So wherever you might live in the Milwaukee area, there is a concert nearby this summer.  As Obie Yadgar used to say every morning on the old WFMR, "Find a Concert and go to it!"

Upcoming Concerts

The summer season is in full swing now.

The Shorewood Concert Band performs on Thursday July 18th at 7 PM in Atwater Park.  Why not take in a fun concert on a Thursday evening?

And I have more information on the July concerts for the Racine Concert Band.  All concerts will be held at the Racine Zoo beginning at 7:30 on Sunday evenings in July.  The special guests include:

• Greg Berg singing music of Handel and Gershwin on July 14th
• Euphonium Soloist Paul Taylor and Trumpeter Eric Weiss on July 21
• A special Children's Concert featuring circus performer Gypsy Geoff on July 28

The RCB concerts are always fun.  And I am always surprised at the quality of the music given that the band has only one rehearsal to put the whole program together.