After a two-year hiatus due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Northern Michigan Brass Band (NMiBB) is excited about once again making music in Michigan’s beautiful upper peninsula. They will present a concert at 3:00 P.M. on Sunday, May 1, at the United Methodist Church in St. Ignace. Continuing their long-standing tradition of programming something for everyone, this 28-piece, British-style brass band will perform an eclectic mix of traditional brass band classics, marches, transcriptions, contemporary contest pieces, pop and jazz. General admission for this concert is $10 for adults with all students admitted free.

According to conductor Ralph Schweigert, “When planning a program, NMiBB tries to remember that not everyone listens to music in the same way. Some people listen with their heads, others with their hearts and still others with their feet. NMiBB includes music that will appeal to each of these listening styles on every concert.”

The highlight of this program will be a performance of Gothic Dances, a major composition for brass band written by Alan Fernie as a test piece for the British National Brass Band Contest in 2006.

The concert will open with Fanfare for the City of Vienna by Richard Strauss, followed by the dramatic Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral from “Lohengrin” by Richard Wagner, the aforementioned Gothic Dances by Alan Fernie, and Valdres March by Norwegian composer Johannes Hanssen. The second half of the concert will begin with Concert March from 1941 by John Williams, followed by Belle of the Ball by Leroy Anderson, a medley of jazz tunes including The Peanut Vendor, Mood Indigo and St. Louis Blues March, and a suite of three Beatles tunes (A Hard Day’s Night, Yesterday and Hey Jude). The concert will conclude with Marche Lorraine, a stirring French military march by Louis Ganne.

Since the band was organized in January 1999, NMiBB has attracted enthusiastic adult brass players from across northern lower Michigan, from Alpena to Frankfort and all points in between. NMiBB meets twice monthly for rehearsals preparing for four annual concert series, one for each season. The current active membership comes from many walks of life, including current and retired school band directors, doctors, engineers, secretaries, accountants, teachers and college professors. NMiBB is a 501(c)(3) organization eligible to receive tax deductible contributions. Please visit northernmichiganbrassband.org for more information.