The SunCoast Concert Band will introduce some music that will be new to the audience at its spring concert Stories in Song next weekend.
The concert is largely made up of compositions created for concert band by composers who know and understand the tone colour possibilities of such a group.
Concert bands differ from orchestras by having increased woodwind and brass sections while not having strings at all. The sound is therefore very unique.
While composers like Percy Grainger, Paul Hindemith, Gustav Holst and Darius Milhaud and even Stravinsky wrote pieces specifically for concert band in the early 20th century, there is now a burgeoning group of composers writing very interesting music for this type of ensemble.
This program will be featuring pieces by Jacob de Haan, Grainger, Eric Whitacre, and Frank Ticheli, as well as arrangements by our own John Frederickson.
The band is very lucky to have strong players in every section with the players ranging in age from two high school students to people in their 80s.
This concert will include two guest groups, the Jazz Group of Seven and the Whirlwind Quintet.
The Jazz Group of Seven features some of the finest jazz musicians on the Coast, and plays music by the jazz giants of the last half of the last century. The players are Frederickson, trumpet, Carl Montgomery, alto sax, Ken Grunenberg, tenor sax, Bryan
Airth, trombone, Steve Giltrow, guitar, John Parker Toulson, bass and Tim Enns, drums.
The Whirlwind Quintet is an equally powerful group, with Nina Haedrich, flute, Alice Westlake, oboe, Yvonne Mouncey, clarinet, John Storer, bassoon and Bev Burgoyne French Horn.
Stories in Song is presented at the Sechelt Indian Band Hall on Saturday, April 28 at 7 p.m. and at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse on Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m.
Advance tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for children under 12, available at Gaia's Fair Trade, Laedeli, Strait Music and Bluewaters Books.
- Submitted
