Together in Concert!

The Chicago Brass Band (Colin Holman) and The Chicago Staff Band (Harold Burgmayer) 

For the first time, two bands bearing the name “Chicago” shared a concert. The Chicago Brass Band opened with Arctic Funk (Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen), followed by the North American premiere of the Rondo from Wilfred Heaton’s Partita. Beth and Andy Malovance then presented the world premiere of a cornet duo based on When You Wish Upon a Star (arr. Burgmayer). Beth serves as principal cornet in both bands, while her husband Andy is assistant principal in the Chicago Brass Band. This adaptation was a wedding present to the couple and seemed the perfect venue for its premiere. Concluding their set, the Chicago Brass Band presented the North American premiere of the Fugue and Finale from Trance (Thomas Doss) and a bit of nostalgia in the Bohemian Rhapsody (arr. Darroll Barry).

The Chicago Staff Band opened with Tom Davoren’s Living Power, followed by the North American premiere of Bill Himes’ Intrepid Overture, commissioned by the Black Dyke Band.  Love Notes (Harold Burgmayer) featured five soloists: Beth Malovance, cornet, Lynda Cooper, flugelhorn, Major John Aren, tenor horn, Brett Tolcher, trombone and Josh Turner, euphonium. The piece borrows from theatrical practice with each soloist “writing” a love note to God, using songs like I Love You, Lord, Beneath the Cross of Jesus, Amazing Love and The Reason. To conclude, the Chicago Staff Band presented Peter Graham’s Sinfonietta - The Dawning.

The bands combined on the final four items, the first two arranged by Harold Burgmayer.  Fortress features solo cornets and trombones in a marriage of Monteverdi’s well-known Toccata and Luther’s Reformation Hymn. Next was the world premiere of Chicagoland, featuring three Chicago-based tunes made famous in the 20s and 30s. The march Power and Glory (arr. Steve Kellner) is the only march Sousa wrote using a hymn, in this case, Onward Christian Soldiers. After a devotional thought by Lt. Colonel Paul Smith, the bands combined in a sonorous benediction with Robert Redhead’s Reflections in Nature.

Tags: Events, News, Chicago Staff Band News