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Craft brews enhance Northside Brass Quintet concert in Wayne

Craft beer and chamber music may seem an odd combination, but the musicians of the Northside Brass Quintet, expect to disprove that notion when they perform "Music of the British Isles" on Thursday, March 5, at Little Home Church in Wayne.

The concert will be preceded by a cocktail party featuring craft beer from Penrose Brewing Company of Geneva.

It's no coincidence that the evening's festivities include both beer and chamber music as Penrose Brewing Company's founder Eric Hobbs is the brother of Ryan Hobbs, founder of the Northside Brass Quintet.

"We're big supporters of the arts," said Eric Hobbs of Geneva. "Not just at Penrose, but when my brother and I were growing up, it was always something we were very serious about; it comes from our parents. So, when my brother sets up the concerts, we're happy to give him all the support we can because we want to expose people to the kind of music they're performing."

"It works out pretty well for us because we enjoy drinking beer and playing music," said Ryan Hobbs, who also lives in Geneva.

The $10 admission covers both the beer, which Eric describes as, "Belgium inspired, with subtle nuance aromas and flavors and character," and the concert.

"The evening starts off at 7 p.m. with a 40-minute cocktail hour and then we'll casually move into the seats. We're going to perform for about an hour and 45 minutes," Ryan Hobbs said.

The kind of music attendees will hear is a little hard to pin down, according to Ryan.

"We play a wide range of classical, jazz, Dixieland and we like to perform the more traditional chamber pieces that come from the Renaissance classical period," he said. "But we play new commissions or music from the 20th or 21st century."

"It's rewarding because of all of the different genres we play," said Jim Langenberg of Elgin, who plays tuba with the ensemble and is married to French horn player, Kelly Langenberg. "Having diversity is something that keeps things fresh for you."

"I am constantly trying to diversify more," said Kelly Langenberg. "I am classically trained, but lately I've been getting into jazz with the French horn. It's kind of uncommon."

"We're considered a classical musical based group, but we do some jazz and some folk," Jim added. "We have some folk music we're covering in the concert."

The quintet, which includes Hobbs and Amy Nelson of Waukegan on trumpet, Kelly Langenberg on French horn, Jim Langenberg on tuba and Steve Duncan of Chicago on trombone, has been playing as a group since 2011, but members have known each other since Hobbs and Kelly Langenberg met at DePaul University.

"My wife was a student at DePaul and we ran around in the same circles," said Jim.

All of the musicians were working in various ensembles as freelance musicians when they decided to form the quintet.

"It came about because there was a need to have an organized group since there was so much work," said Kelly.

The quintet plays at weddings, holiday parties, private parties, corporate events, fundraisers, recitals, and four public concerts a year. The upcoming show is its spring production and features music written by British composers or songs from Great Britain.

"You'll hear music by Gustav Holt, Malcolm Arnold and Percy Grainger," said Ryan.

The quintessential Irish ballad "Danny Boy" will be performed, as well as a piece which has a less specific pedigree.

"It's called the Celtic Suite written by an American composer in Europe, who wrote the piece for a French group, based on Irish music," said Jim.

Although much of the music is classical, Kelly wants concert goers to know that the event won't be a stuffy one.

"It's going to be a causal concert for both music lovers and beer lovers alike. It'll be a fun evening. It won't be hoity-toity," she said.

"It's for just about all audiences," said Jim. "It's not the same kind of stuff over and over again. There will be a little something for everyone."

Little Home Church is at 32W128 Army Trail Road, Wayne. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the concert at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door. Payment will be cash or credit card; no advance tickets are available. Visit northsidebrass.com.

Trumpeter Ryan Hobbs founded the Northside Brass Quintet in 2011. Courtesy of Ryan Hobbs
The Northside Brass Quintet has performed at a variety of venues, including churches. Courtesy of Ryan Hobbs
Enjoy a craft beer from Geneva's Penrose Brewing Company before the show at the Northside Brass Quintet's concert in Wayne. Courtesy of Penrose Brewing Company

If you go

What: The Northside Brass Quintet, a five-piece chamber ensemble, performs "Music of the British Isles"

When: 7:45 p.m. Thursday, March 5; doors open at 7 p.m.

Where: Little Home Church, 32W128 Army Trail Road, Wayne

Details: Enjoy an evening of craft beer from Penrose Brewing in Geneva and music by Malcolm Arnold, G.F. Handel, and Ralph Vaughn-Williams. Tickets: $10 at the door, cash or credit card; no advance tickets are available. Visit <a href="http://www.northsidebrass.com">www.northsidebrass.com</a>.

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