Mother's Day Concert

Coming soon!   The Municipal Band's Mother's Day Concert features music for mothers--and others--everything from Bach to a contemporary piece called San Antonio Dances, from marches to old-time tunes.   

    Bach's most famous piece, the Toccata and Fugue in D minor (written for organ). is an excellent transcription for band but playable only by bands with very advanced woodwinds, especially clarinets.
   
    "San Antonio Dances" is a blend of Texan and Hispanic cultural influences written in two movements, the first movement depicting the Alamo Gardens and its live oaks and the second celebrating San Antonio's famous Riverwalk, picturing a group of friends seated at an outdoor patio, enjoying the scenery, the food and the company, and soon building into one giant fiesta, joyfully lighthearted and carefree. 
 
    Peggy Shipley, principal flutist in the Muni Band, is playing a major work for flute and band entitled "Lindisfarne Rhapsody" by Philip Sparke, a European composer.  The work was commission by the principal flutist of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force in England.   Peggy, our soloist, has a Music Education degree from Penn State and has done graduate work in flute performance at Peabody Institute.  This work is an excellent vehicle to show off her great sound and abundant technique. 
   
    Besides these three showcase numbers, we will play "Salvation is Created," a fine example of the choral literature of the Russian Orthodox Church, drastically different from the linear style of the Bach composition.
 
    Then the band's trombone section will demonstrate their “slippery slides” in one of the best marches by the legendary Carl King.    And we have a medley of Golden Oldies, "Themes Like Old Times II," including Swanee, For Me and My Gal, Put Your Arms Around Me Honey, Pretty Baby, and Tiger Rag.

    Rounding out the program are selections from the classic Broadway Show "Sound of Music," in an outstanding Warren Barker arrangement of songs which have become cherished, songs such as "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music,"  "Edelweiss" and "Climb Every Mountain."
    
    Throw into the mix a couple of concert marches—"Alba Sentimentale (Sentimental Dawn) and "Pepita Greus," (a Latino two-step by Chovi dedicated to the inspired poetess Lady Angela-Josefa Grues)—and you have a program of ultimate variety, our trademark.   Free carnations for Mothers, our tribute. 

    Many of you are regular attendees at our concerts and we hope you can be with us for our final concert of the indoor season.

Past Concerts

St. Patty's Serenade

Saint Patrick’s Day!  Come and celebrate the Irish with us.  The Irish have a long tradition of excellent music, much of it familiar to you.   The band plans to slip in a bit of Scottish music as well.   We thought about calling the concert Celtic, but on St. Pat’s Day we have to call it St. Patty’s Serenade.  

Along with a balanced program of good band music we feature live bagpiper, Tim Culbertson, with a drummer, both members of the Muni Band, who play regularly in a Bagpipe Band.  We plan to let them stroll the aisle in full regalia right after intermission.  That’s probably as close as you—or I—have ever been to a bagpipe.  

Of course, we’ll do the classic arrangement of “Danny Boy” (Irish Tune from County Derry) along with “Irish Rhapsody” (a medley by Clare Grundman), “Mannin Veen” (Dear Isle of Man).  We’ve programmed “Four Scottish Dances” (folksongs by Malcolm Arnold) and “Molly on the Shore” showing off fast technique in the upper woodwinds.

Hope you didn’t miss our February concert featuring the fabulous euphonium soloist Steven Mead, but if you did your friends in attendance will tell you it was an extraordinary experience.  Preparation time for our March concert has been short since our last concert had to be moved back two weeks to accommodate our guest, but we did work ahead and we’ll be ready.

This concert with lively Irish jigs to lyrical ballads, popular Irish tunes and even a march (“Pentland Hills”), a real toe tapper, will leave you humming a tune.

Ned Deihl, Conductor

Hail Britannia!

featuring special guest euphonium soloist from England  STEVEN MEAD
Sunday, Feb. 17, 3:00
SCAHS South Auditorium
Free concert, donations welcome

 

South Hills Concert

Sunday, July 22, 2012 6:00pm
South Hills, 480 Waupelani Dr.
State College, PA

 

 

Arts Fest Concert

 Saturday, July 14, 2012 11:30am

Old Main Stage,

Penn State University

University Park, PA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4th Fest Concert

Wednesday, July 4, 2012 7:00pm

Across from the Bryce Jordan Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day Concert

State College Area Municipal Band Concert

Sunday, May 13, 3:00

SCAHS South Auditorium

On the upcoming Municipal Band concert, our 31st annual Mother's Day Concert, May 13, we will feature the great Percy Grainger classic, "Lincolnshire Posy."  Considered light classical, it has great color and melodic tunes, accessible to any audience.  Based on English folk songs, originally sung, the notation is actually quite complex at times, although the listener probably should hear the rhythm and melody of the songs.   A  study of repertoire performed by the top wind ensembles at Big 12 Universities, 2002-09, listed the "Posy" as the Number 1 choice, most frequently performed.

More information on Grainger, the brilliant but eccentric innovator, later  (or you can "google" him.)

 

For this concert Bill Fatula, our principal trumpet in the Band, will perform the famous Latino solo "La Virgen de la Macarena" by the great trumpeter Rafael Mendez.  You can read more about our soloist here. The band will perform "Third Suite for Band," by the noted band composer Jager.  It consists of three movements--March, Waltz and Rondo.

 

Other selections on the program include "The Little English Girl" (a lyrical march),  Grainger's  lively"Molly on the Shore,"   "American River Songs,"  "State Street Stomp (a toe-tapper)" and, by contrast, a quiet contemporary chorale entitled "Sleep."

 

Hope to see you all -- mothers and others -- at the concert!  A complimentary carnation for Mom.

 

Ned Deihl, Conductor