Glenn Miller Orchestra swings into ECC Arts Center Nov. 20
The Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform at the Elgin Community College Arts Center on Sunday, Nov. 20. The performance will begin at 3 p.m. in the center's Blizzard Theatre, Building H, 1700 Spartan Drive.
Legendary Swing Era bandleader Glenn Miller was born in 1904. A musician since childhood, Miller toured with several orchestras in the 1920s and '30s, working with the likes of Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers. Miller formed the first Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1937. It was a financial failure. Following this first attempt, Miller honed the distinctive sound that would define his career and orchestra: a clarinet and tenor sax playing the melodic line, supported harmonically by three saxophones, backed by growling trombones and wailing trumpets. As Miller himself said, "A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality." In March 1938, Glenn Miller launched his second band which became an enormous success with a string of hits including the band's signature tune "Moonlight Serenade."
In 1942, at the height of its popularity, Glenn Miller disbanded the orchestra to volunteer for the Army. There, Miller organized the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band which performed 800 shows for servicemen in a single year. On Dec. 15, 1944, Major Glenn Miller took off in a single engine plane from England to France for a string of performances. The plane disappeared over the English Channel and he was never seen again. While he didn't return from the war, Miller's music has lived on. With the exception of a few years following his death, Glenn Miller's namesake orchestra and music have been consistently heard around the world since 1938.
Due to popular demand, the Glenn Miller Orchestra was re-formed by the Miller estate in 1956. Touring continuously for the past 60 years, the orchestra has been on the road longer than any other Big Band in history. The orchestra features music director Nick Hilscher, five reed players (saxophone, clarinet, flute), eight brass players (trombone, trumpet), three rhythm musicians (piano, bass, and drums), and two vocalists. With a repertoire that now exceeds 1,700 compositions, the orchestra's programs feature the big hits of the Swing era ("Moonlight Serenade," "In the Mood," "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," and "String of Pearls"), lesser known tunes ("The White Cliffs of Dover" and "Rainbow Rhapsody"), and contemporary selections arranged in the Glenn Miller style.
Tickets are $36. Tickets are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC Arts Center box office. Box office hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. To purchase tickets by phone, call (847) 622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted. The ECC Arts Center can be found at www.facebook.com/eccartscenter or twitter.com/ECCArtsCenter.