Wheaton Band Festival creates a rainbow of sounds
If sound came in color, the music at this year’s Wheaton Band Festival would create a rainbow over Memorial Park.
For the first time ever, five very different types of bands will take the stage.
“We’re especially excited that we have five different types of bands: a brass band, jazz ensemble, steel drum, and a military and concert band,” festival President Glenn Arnold said. “That’s the first time that’s ever happened.”
Sounds of the 12th annual band festival can be heard from 7:15-9:30 p.m. Friday, July 15, and 6-9:30 p.m. Saturday in the Memorial Park band shell, 208 W. Union St., Wheaton.
If the festival is a rainbow, organizers consider the Salvation Story Steel Orchestra a tropical oasis of natural hues — all different yet similar and harmonious.
“A concert band has a much larger group of instruments and larger group of musical colors,” said festival Vice President Colin Holman of Glendale Heights. “Each of the individual steel drums has it’s own color, but they’re all like, similar colors.”
The Salvation Story Steel Orchestra, which takes the stage at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, began in February 2009 as part of an outreach by the Salvation Army in Chicago’s troubled Englewood neighborhood.
“It’s really a fairly unique sound and there’s kind of an exotic element to it,” Holman said. “There’s a powerful visual element of all of those young musicians playing with great enthusiasm and a great passion for what they do.”
The highly acclaimed group of Englewood youth plays the indigenous steel drums of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, creating a unique Calypso sound.
“This is really young musicians at their very best, really utilizing their talents in a really unique and special way,” Holman said. “It’s a very unique and special part of the weekend’s events.”
The festival opens Friday with a performance by the Chicago Brass Band at 7:15 p.m. Friday, followed by the Switch Time Jazz Ensemble at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the Fox Valley Concert Band begins at 6 p.m., followed by the Salvation Story Steel Orchestra at 7:05 p.m. and concluding with the Navy Band Great Lakes Ceremonial Band at 8:10 p.m.
The festival is free with free parking. Indoor bathrooms are available at the park and restaurants are nearby.
Listeners are welcome to bring chairs or blankets and even a picnic to enjoy during the performances.
“We have people who are die-hards and will sit through the entire weekend and bring a picnic dinner along with them or we have people who come to hear one specific group,” Holman said. “We have casual listeners who were strolling by who started listening and then don’t leave. It’s a pretty good mix of audience types and we attract people of all ages.”
Between performances, musicians will give demonstrations to anybody interested in learning more about a particular instrument.
Festival organizers also will continue their annual instrument collection.
In the last 12 years, $50,000 in used band instruments has been donated and re-purposed via the Salvation Army to needy Chicago youth musicians.
“That’s been a very rewarding experience to see them put to such a good use,” Arnold said.
To donate an instrument, call Arnold at (630) 653-0310.
Honorary directors of the festival are C. James Carr, former Wheaton mayor; Richard Gieser, a Wheaton Eye Clinic doctor; Carl Grapentine, of WFMT-FM Network Chicago; Sarah Meisels, Wheaton Public Library director; John Searer, vice president of Chase Bank Wheaton; and Mayor Michael Gresk.
For information, visit wheatonbandfestival.org.
If you go
If you go
What: 12th annual Wheaton Band Festival
When: 7:15 p.m. Friday, July 15, and 6 p.m. Saturday, July 16
Where: Memorial Park, 208 W. Union St., Wheaton
Cost: Free
Info: wheatonbandfestival.org