Naperville Municipal Band plans holiday concert
Naperville Municipal Band members seem confused.
Christmas is in July, right?
That's when the band typically celebrates with the jolly big guy at a performance during the outdoor concert season.
There are Popsicles and candy bars. Santa's there. Everyone wears summer clothes. It's warm.
What's that? A concert in December? It's almost unheard of. Besides, Santa's probably busy, said the band's director, Ron Keller.
“I could give the North Pole a call to see if Santa has time, but this is a busy time of the year for him,” Keller said. “He's getting the toys all ready and checking the list to see who is naughty and nice.”
As much as everybody loves Santa, Thursday's 7:30 p.m. concert at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville, is one performance that isn't about the kids.
“It's about the great songs of Christmas,” Keller said.
A collaboration among the band, North Central College's choir and NCTV17, the show is unique all around.
And it's a first for current members of the band, which hasn't performed a holiday concert since the 1940s.
Although the 100-member band, which typically performs weekly throughout the summer, now has a winter indoor season, elementary and high school holiday concerts usually fill the month of December.
Additionally, North Central students are currently on winter break until after the holidays. About 30 of the college's 60 choir members will return to the school to sing a couple songs with the band.
“We don't usually have an opportunity to do Christmas music because our term ends here before the holidays,” music professor Jeordano “Pete” Martinez said. “It's just nice to bring different aspects of the community together to do things like this.”
The show will air live when the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and will show again numerous times on NCTV17 throughout December.
The program will feature the whole band and four of its ensembles: saxophone, flute choir, clarinet choir and the tuba euphonium.
The show includes several medleys and opens with “A Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson.
Each ensemble will perform a song throughout the show, including “Sleigh Ride” by the saxophone quartet, “Santa's Symphony” by the flute choir, “Angels We Have Heard on High” by the clarinet choir and crowd favorite “Jingle Bells” by the tuba euphonium.
They'll also do a lighter piece featuring “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph,” the “Merry Christmas Polka” and “Suzie Snowflake.”
Additionally, the show will include a singalong, where the choir and audience are invited to perform a few traditional carols.
The show will close with “White Christmas.”
Although band members aren't used to paying homage to Christmas in this cold month of December, Keller said the band has had fun with rehearsals and he's looking forward to the community response.
“It'll be interesting to see the number of people who turn out on a Thursday night in the winter and the fact that it's a different type of program that we're playing,” Keller said. “It'll be kind of interesting to see what the response is.”
Tickets are $5.
<p><b>“Christmas in Naperville,” a performance by the Naperville Municipal Band</b></p>
<p>When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2</p>
<p>Where: Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville</p>
<p>Cost: $5</p>
<p>Details: Members of North Central College's choir will perform with the band; concert will be broadcast live on NCTV17</p>
<p>Info: (630) 637-7469 or northcentralcollege.edu/showtix</p>