Naperville Municipal Band goes German, Irish at winter concert

Naperville Municipal Band Director Ron Keller considered several themes for this year's winter concert: German potato salad and Irish potatoes? Bratwurst and corn beef?

But "Schnitzel and Shamrocks" just had a better ring to it.

The 150-year-old community band will perform its annual winter concert Sunday featuring works by German composers, the "Schnitzel," as well as a medley in honor of the upcoming Irish holiday St. Patrick's Day as the "Shamrocks."

"When it comes to a concert, people want to hear variety," Keller said. "So we play to the people. But the old John Philip Sousa joke is, if people prefer 'Turkey in the Straw,' we will play 'Turkey in the Straw.'"

This season begins the start of Keller's 45th year as director of the band that has grown to a 90-piece award-winning band, he said.

"The band is in a constant state of evolving and that's always very positive," he said.

That evolution is evidenced in the selections for this year's concert, said 11-year band member Dan Tromblay of Naperville, who plays the trumpet.

Audience favorites likely will include the marches that will bookend the concert and a compilation of pop music called "New Sounds of the Carpenters."

In between, they'll sprinkle some waltzes and operatic overtures with pieces by Mendelssohn, Wagner and Mozart.

In the past, maybe one or two pieces were more difficult to play, Tromblay said. In this concert, almost all of the music is a step above.

"The music itself has required the band to take the rehearsals almost a measure at as time to make sure we're getting it down," Tromblay said. "We've really been working hard for the music of this concert."

The featured soloist at the winter concert is band member Cheryle Sager, who will play the French horn during Mozart's "Rondo."

Additionally, there will be a surprise guest conductor, Keller said, that even band members don't know about.

They'll also salute Naperville native and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, whose team just won the Super Bowl.

"That's if people don't throw grapefruit and bananas at us," said Keller, referring to Bears fans.

The audience will appreciate the fun and the complicated concert planned for this weekend, Tromblay said.

"They're going to be taken on a musical journey that is just more complicated and more entertaining than they might be used to than our past concerts," Tromblay said. "It's going to be very positive."

The free winter concert starts at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 7, at Naperville North High School.

Established in 1859, the community band performs for free each week in the summer at the Community Concert Center in Naperville's Central Park. Additionally, the band performs free winter, spring and fall concerts annually.

For information, visit napervilleband.org.

If you goWhat: "Schnitzel and Shamrocks," Naperville Municipal Band's winter concertWhen: 3 p.m. Sunday, March 7Where: Naperville North High School, 899 N. Mill St., NapervilleCost: FreeInfo: napervilleband.org