The Wheaton Municipal Band Marches On

Fans of the Wheaton Municipal Band love marches. Even though every concert ends with a march for the encore, the fans want more. On Thursday, August 13 at 8:00 p.m. in Memorial Park in downtown Wheaton, the Wheaton Municipal Band performs all types of marches from symphonic to Sousa. Under the direction of Dr. Bruce Moss, the band steps it up a notch and explores the wonderful world of concert band marches.

Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Hindemith and Beethoven all composed marches. Typically a march is in 2/4 time at a walkable tempo. However, these famous composers all put their personal touch to the march and created classics. "The Funeral March" by Grieg features the brass section of the band. Tchaikovsky's "Coronation March" was written for the coronation of Tsar Alexander III in 1883. Hindemith's "March from Symphonic Metamorphosis" has a catchy sinister mood. Beethoven mastered the march form and used it frequently in his symphonic works. Frequently composers shift the meter from 2/4 to 6/8. Both have a two beat feel, but the 2/4 uses a beat divisible by two, whereas the 6/8-meter subdivides into three. Then there is the jazz march by Bencriscutto with its syncopation and swing feel. Charles Ives' "Country March" seems a bit off center with its musical quotes all piled on top of each other. John Williams mastered the march art form and used it for many of his movie heroes. The WMB performs the "Superman March" on Thursday night. Of course, the evening would not be complete without the march masters: Karl King and John Philip Sousa.

Don't miss the final concert of the Wheaton Municipal Band's 2015 season. It will keep your toes tapping. Thursday, August 13 at 8:00 p.m., in Memorial Park in downtown Wheaton. Enjoy the final days of summer with the Wheaton Municipal Band concert in Memorial Park. Admission is free. www.wheatonmunicipalband.org.