Illinois Brass Band season announced
The Illinois Brass Band will open its 2015-16 season at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, with "God and Country" at First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights, 1903 E Euclid Ave. The performance will feature hymns, patriotic selections and Americana music.
The concert will be reprised at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Lombard United Methodist Church, 155 S Main St. The hymns "Amazing Love," "Nicaea, Ellacombe" and "Wondrous Cross" will be featured, along with Morton Gould's "American Salute" and Joseph Wilcox Jenkins' "American Overture for Band."
Cornet soloist Michael Ackerman will be accompanied by the band as he performs Peter Graham's rendition of the "Swedish Hymn."
The featured work on the program will be "Images for Brass," written in 1995 by Stephen Bulla, former chief arranger for the president's own Marine Corps Band. This major work in four movements was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
The band will present its annual "Holiday Classics" concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec 6, in Palatine's historic Cutting Hall, 150 E. Wood St., and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, in St. Charles at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave.
Featured works will include "Festival Fanfare for Christmas" by John Wasson, "Christmas Fantasia" by Andrew Wainwright, and "Proclamation for Christmas" by Stephen Bulla.
On Saturday, June 11, 2016, the band will present its gala 25th anniversary concert featuring works from past programs. The band will be joined by past music directors Bruce Briney, Colin Holman, Peter Lipari, Ryan Nelson and current music director Stephen Squires.
The performance will take place at First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights, 1903 E. Euclid Ave. The band has commissioned composer Andrew Wainwright to provide original music to commemorate this special occasion.
Tickets for all performances are $12, $6 for children and students 18 and younger. They can be purchased in advance through illinoisbrassband.org or through the Cutting Hall Box office for the Dec. 6 concert only. Tickets are also available at the door .
The Illinois Brass Band is a 30-member British style brass band and is a six-time national champion of the North American Brass Band Association. The band is a nonprofit organization supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.