Naperville Municipal Band to welcome guest conductor

It was a chance meeting in the 1990s that brought Col. Arnald Gabriel, retired conductor and commander of the United States Air Force Band, to Naperville for the first time.

"I ran into him at an Association of Concert Bands conference," said Ron Keller, director of the Naperville Municipal Band. "That's how I first met him. We got talking about Naperville and we invited him."

Gabriel took Keller up on his offer and served as a guest conductor at a municipal band concert.

"He worked well with the band and the band really liked him," Keller said.

So he came back for a second guest conductor appearance.

"Last time he was here was about eight or nine years ago," Keller said.

Gabriel is expected to make his third appearance as guest conductor Sunday when the group presents its Spring Concert at Naperville Central High School.

He's set to conduct the final four numbers: an Italian march titled "Caderna," a medley of movie soundtracks, "Slavonic Rhapsody" and "Russian Christmas Music."

Keller said band members are honored to play under Gabriel's direction. He remembers how, during one of his previous visits, Keller was asked to assemble a collection of musicians on short notice.

"They wanted a clinic band for him to work with," he said.

Almost the entire band arranged to be there, though the session was set for 8:30 a.m. on a Thursday.

"He's had such a fantastic reputation," Keller said. "He does everything from memory; he very seldom looks at a score."

Gabriel, who lives in Arlington, Va., will present a music clinic for students at Naperville Central High School Friday and another clinic for Naperville North High School students Monday.

Another connection to Keller, this a social one, resulted in Sunday's other scheduled guest conductor appearance.

Adam La Spata, conductor of the Arlington Heights Community Concert Band, will conduct the band's performance of a piece he composed titled "Rejouissance."

"He composed it to be played at his wedding, by a quartet," said Keller, a guest at La Spata's October 2006 wedding. Keller was there with his wife, who was invited by the woman who is now La Spata's mother-in-law.

Keller so enjoyed the piece that he approached La Spata with a question.

"I said, 'Is it possible to arrange that for the whole band?' " Keller said.

Sunday's performance will mark the first public performance of the song.

The show also will feature "Orpheus Overture," conducted by Rene Rosas, the municipal band's assistant director. And Keller will conduct "Eagle Squadron," "The Army Air Corps" and "A Tribute to Harry James."

The Harry James piece will feature a trumpet solo by Dan Moore, a municipal band member who is also the music director at Naperville North High School.

"He is a phenomenal trumpet player," Keller said.

If you go

What: Naperville Municipal Band's Spring Concert

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Naperville Central High School, 440 Aurora Road, Naperville

Admission: Free

Info: (630) 778-9994 or napervilleband.org