Illinois Brass Band Announces 2015 - 2016 Concert Season
The Illinois Brass Band will open its 2015- 2016 season at 7:00 PM Saturday, October 24, 2016 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.
This concert will be reprised on Sunday, November 1, 2016 at 3:00 PM at the Lombard United Methodist Church, 155 S Main Street, Lombard, IL. 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 rendition of the "Swedish Hymn." The featured work on the performance 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 also present their annual "Holiday Classics" concert on Sunday, Dec 6, 2015 at 2:00 PM in Palatine's historic Cutting Hall, 150 E. Wood Street, and then again on Saturday, Dec 19, 2015 at 5:00 PM 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 their 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 under and can be purchased in advance through illinoisbrassband.org or through the Cutting Hall Box office for the December 6, 2015 concert only. Tickets are also available at the door on the day of the performances.
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 501(c)(3) recognized organization and is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.