Published: August 20, 2008 10:36 pm            

Brazil Concert Band concludes summerlong celebration

The Brazil Concert Band, under the direction of Col. Matthew S. Huber, concludes its summerlong Sesquicentennial Celebration literally with a bang Sunday at a special time of 7:30 p.m. at Forest Park rain or shine.

Overture “1812,” Tchaikovsky’s epic classic, will be presented in its entirety including the famous 17 explosive cannon shots provided by fireworks expert Mark Adamson.

Trombone soloist Norman Hanson will shake the squirrels out of their trees during Arthur Pryor's dazzling virtuoso piece, “The Blue Bells of Scotland.” Hanson teaches band at North Central High School in Sullivan County.

Former BCB director Jim Thistle will conduct two of his favorite marches, “Colonel Bogey” by Alford and “Our Director” by Bigelow. Thistle teaches band at North Clay Middle School.

Former BCB director Ersel E. Burgess will lead the BCB in his signature piece, “Smile Darn Ya Smile” and sing the lyrics as he did back in the 1960s. He is a retired school administrator.

From Illinois, BCB tuba player Harold Ellshoff will direct the German march “The Conqueror” by Teike and his own composition “7th Fleet Band.” Ellshoff is director of the Marshall City Band.

BCB co-principal clarinetist Ralph Stewart, retired band teacher from Martinsville, Ill., will conduct “Overture Militaire” arranged by Skornicka.

Director Huber will feature his clarinet section in Leroy Anderson’s “Clarinet Candy” and include the British folk march “Seventeen Come Sunday” by Vaughan Williams along with Julius Fucik’s grand Italian march “The Florentiner.”

The grand finale will include four marches by John Philip Sousa namely “El Capitan,” “Foshay Tower Washington Memorial,” “The Pathfinder of Panama” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

        

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