Fall Calendar - Concert Band
October:
  Sunday, 10/15, 3:00P.M., Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville
  Sunday, 12/17, 3:00P.M., River Hill High School, Clarksville

Fall Calendar - Jazz Band
Nothing 'till next January

Columbia, MD - The Boston Pops can do no wrong. This CD presents, in only 12 tracks, a vast array of American patriotic music that easily calls up excitement, reverence, and pride. My only qualm with the sung tunes is that, as with most choruses backed by a large instrumental ensemble, the words become unintelligible when the orchestra grows loud. Otherwise, the singing is very enjoyable.

The CD opens with The Star-Spangled Banner, appropriately enough, then moves on to Liberty Fanfare, by one of America's most prominent composers, John Williams. Doodletown Fifers (with real fifes!) paints a musical picture of why we celebrate our freedom, as tunes of the civil war are heard.

Invoking 60s nostalgia, Paul Simon's America (the orchestral arrangement) may bring a tear to those old enough to remember that time. One of the featured pieces on the CD is With Voices Raised, which combines the sung and the spoken word, both imparting historical, thought-provoking quotes on the ages-old fight for equality. Yet another upbeat blast from the nation's past occurs when Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy hits your ears. This rousing version of the Andrew Sisters' hit, featuring a wailing trumpet solo, will undoubtedly increase your heartbeat and get your feet tapping.

America the Beautiful is sung with the utmost feeling by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and soloist Denyce Graves. However, her warbling vibrato is somewhat distracting, invoking images of a Viennese opera singer taking cues from Mozart. If it's a purely classical piece you're searching for, the Pops pulls out all the stops for Tchaikovsky's well-known 1812 Overture. Not only do they perform with great precision and gusto, but one can not help thrill at the cannons' blasts, brilliantly symbolizing the fireworks that we Americans are so fond of.

And what patriotic CD would be complete without at least a couple of marches? E. E. Bagley's National Emblem and J. P. Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever (with its perfect piccolo solo) provide the expected, yet still exciting parade-like feeling.

The CD cover design catches your attention with action photos, creating the light-hearted atmosphere for your eye that the music creates for your ear. Some tunes were not touched on in this review, but they are played just as flawlessly as those mentioned, and even if you don't think you'll like every musical style represented in this CD, buy it anyway. There's a reason that this group is world-renowned.

The Fall/Winter season is always hectic for us, as we prepare for our Children's Concert and formal Winter Concert at the same time. We're going with a "space" theme for the kiddies this year, and the December program will feature some more great works, including a very clever arrangement of "In Dulci Jubilo," and Fank Ticheli's "Cajun Folk Songs". We'll also be revisiting the work of a very talented young composer, Eric Whitacre, with his haunting "Lux Aurumque" - what interesting sounds he pulls from the wind band! We'll be closing the program with Leroy Anderson's holiday favorite, "Christmas Festival", which is always fun to play and hear. As we look ahead to the Spring of 2007, we'll be using the extended rehearsal period to return to some more difficult repertoire, perhaps some music by Percy Grainger, David Holsinger and...Paul Simon?

The Columbia Concert Band is a very special group of people who, I believe, play an equally special role in the community. I am honored to be conducting the ensemble, and always enjoy having the "best seat in the band". Please come out to support us and to support FREE live music in our area. As I always say, performing is a lot more fun when there are folks out there listening! Thank you!

Quarterly Quote: "Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings." -- Ed Gardner

Appointees and Volunteers
Librarian - Marilyn Kelsey
Curator - Fred Shermer
Historian - Melinda Frisch
Uniforms - Bill DeVuono
Webmaster - Suzanne Hassell
Columbia Jazz Band Director - Pete Barenbregge