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Palatine Concert Band Opens Its 62nd Season

The Palatine Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Frederick Lowe, opens its 62nd concert season at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6, at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center, 150 E. Wood St., in Palatine. The theme of our first concert is Shakespeare & Love, and the program has been designed around the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.

The band will take the audience on a musical journey to Stratford-upon-Avon as we celebrate these two intertwined themes.

"The beginning of each season means a journey through new and exciting music, and I treasure the moments I have together with the Palatine Concert Band", noted Dr. Lowe. "We honor 'The Bard' and the 400th anniversary of his passing with many works based on his classic plays, including the timeless classic, Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet."

Our musical tribute to Shakespeare will include the following compositions: Othello (I. Prelude (Venice)), Alfred Reed; Kiss Me Kate, Cole Porter/John Moss; Romeo and Juliet, P. I. Tchaikovsky/Mark Hindsley; Prelude from Richard III, William Walton/Paul Noble; A Gershwin Tribute to Love, George & Ira Gershwin/ Brent Heisinger; and Music from Rent, Jonathan Larson/Jay Bocook.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Children 12 and under are free, and tickets are available online at www.cuttinghall.org or at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center Box Office.

In addition to the November concert, the band will perform three concerts leading up to next summer:

• Friday, December 2, 2016, 7 p.m. - Annual Holiday Concert - Cutting Hall

• Sunday, March 19, 2017, 3:30 p.m. - Winter Concert - Palatine High School

• Sunday, April 30, 2017, 3:30 p.m. - Spring Concert - Cutting Hall

The band has a history of attracting and keeping superior performers which is important for an organization with such a demanding performance schedule. About 45% of the band's 85-member roster has played with the band for 15 years or more, and 20% have been with the band for over 26 years. The band continues to draw top talent each year for those limited open chairs, and 11 percent of the band is relatively new with less than a year's membership. "All our members bring a wealth of musical experience to the band", said Carin Zachar, president of the band. "We typically attract post-college players who are ready to demonstrate their love of music in a familiar format. The band clearly is an emotional connection in their life that we help complete. "As one of many longtime members, I've watched the band grow and maintain its musical excellence", continued Ms. Zachar. "Our director, Dr. Rick Lowe, is fabulous at programming our concert programs, choosing a relevant theme and related music that pleases the audience and challenges the musicians as well."

Band members come from all walks of life, and have dedicated their lives or a significant portion of their life to music. One-third of the band members are or were music professionals, many as music educators in area elementary, middle/junior high, and high schools. The majority find music to be an avocation and an important addendum to their careers outside of music. Music is important to the lives of all of band members, as over 50% of the band plays in at least one additional musical group during the week. Most members live in or near Palatine, but several commute from locations as far as Gurnee, Joliet, and DeKalb each week for rehearsals.

The Band has a wonderful history in Palatine and was initially formed as the Palatine Military Band in 1875 with just 15 members, under the baton of H. Schnierding. The documented story of the band is regrettably fairly thin. Into the early 1900s the band grew to 21 members under Director Maurice Reickert, traveling via the Palatine, Lake Zurich and Wauconda Railroad to play their concerts. By 1906, Walter Spears of Barrington was named director, and the band performed throughout the summer at Brockway and Slade Streets in Palatine. The band continued to play into the early 20th century, and was dissolved in 1935.

The band was revitalized in 1955 as the Palatine Village Band and was a part of the Palatine Centennial Celebration at the urging of then-Village Manager Robert Eppley. In 1964, the band received support from the Village of Palatine and the Palatine Park District, and the band performed at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center for the first time, providing a free concert for the community. Through the 1960s and 1970s the band struggled to stay afloat financially. Despite these struggles, musicians found a strong draw in the band program and membership continued to be solid. Predecessors of Dr. Lowe have included Ronald Polancich (York High School-Elmhurst), John Thomson (New Trier High School), Dr. Donald DeRoche (DePaul University), Dale Johannsen (United States Army Band, Washington, D.C.), Barbara Buehlman (Round Lake High School), and Arthur Katterjohn (Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra and Concert Band).

The band is supported in part by the Palatine Park District and maintains a very active concert schedule year round. "We're very grateful for the continued support of the Palatine Park District", notes Ms. Zachar. "We have a great rehearsal facility and concert venue year-round. It would be very challenging for us to operate without that level of commitment from the PPD." Four concerts are performed at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center in Palatine between November and May, typically with just 5-7 rehearsals for each concert. The band rehearses once a week at the Palatine Community Center. Additionally, the band performs five outdoor concerts during June and July - three at The Fred P Hall Amphitheater in Palatine. The band is also the featured pre-fireworks concert band on July 3 and July 4 in Wilmette and Evanston, respectively, and has been so for over a decade. "We couldn't do this without the skill level and dedication of our players," commented Dr. Lowe. "Many music groups have multiple rehearsals during the week. These folks come in once a week for 2 hours, and put a difficult concert program together in a short amount of time. It's absolutely amazing!"

Our members are lifelong musicians with a love of performing great musical works, new and classical, for American-style concert bands. We hope to be a great example for young people in band programs across the Northwest suburbs - showing that music is truly a life skill, and is something that can be continued, regardless of your chosen profession.

Dr. Frederick Lowe is the director of ensembles at Loyola University Chicago, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and basketball pep band, and teaches courses in conducting and music appreciation. Dr. Lowe earned his bachelor of music degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and earned his doctor and master of music degrees in conducting at Northwestern University.

More information about the band can be found at www.palatineconcertband.org, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/palatineconcertband.

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