Thursday, August 11, 2022 Concert

The tenth and final concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, August 11, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

Music on the August 11 concert will include:

Castle Walk by James Reese Europe and Ford Dabney
Our Cast Aways by Julie Giroux
Tuba feature: Solo Pomposo by Al Hayes
Waltz: The Flashing Eyes of Andalusia by John Philip Sousa
William Tell Overture by Giaocchino Rossini
Mountains in the Mist by Michael Boo
Rolling Thunder March by Henry Fillmore
Abba on Broadway arr. Michael Brown
Sing along: America, the Beautiful arr. Carmen Dragon
The Stars and Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

Lt. James Reese EuropeJames Reese Europe was the first African American bandmaster in the US Army. Before World War I, Mr. Europe was a successful band leader and composer in the USA, earning the nickname “The King of Jazz”, and he led the first concert by African Americans at Carnegie Hall in 1912. Maestro Europe went on to lead a renowned military band in Europe during World War I. Upon his death in 1919, Lieutenant Europe was the first African American in New York City to have a public funeral, and he was then laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Castle Walk showcases the Ragtime style. The United States military band of Lieutenant James Reese Europe is believed to have played the first Ragtime music in France.

Our Cast Aways is a gentle reflection on pets who enter animal shelters, and especially those who must be put down. The dedication reads: To “those who rescue, those who get rescued, and especially…those whose rescue never comes.” When composer Julie Giroux won the first of her three Emmy Awards, she was the first woman and the youngest person ever to win the award in that category.

The Michigan City Municipal Band is blessed with an exceptionally strong tuba section. We’ll feature them on a 1911 composition by Al Hayes, in the style of other turn-of-the-20th-century solos with band. It starts with a triumphal march, then features a cadenza, then moves into the style of a polka.Continue reading

Thursday, August 4, 2022 Concert

The ninth concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held on Thursday, August 4, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. The band plays a variety of music designed to entertain audience members of all ages. All concerts are free and everyone is welcome. Jeffrey Scott Doebler is the conductor for MCMB and Quincy Ford is the assistant conductor. Dr. Doebler serves as director of music education at Valparaiso University. Mr. Ford, principal saxophone in the MCMB, is retired director of bands and Music Department chairperson at Michigan City High. Quincy Ford will lead the band this week.

Rick Carlson, principal trumpet with MCMB will be our featured soloist on the program. Rick a native Michigan City resident, earned a Trumpet Performance degree from Indiana University in Bloomington where William Adam was his Trumpet Instructor. He will perform “A Trumpeter’s Prayer” by Tutti Camarata.

The August 4, concert repertoire will include:

King Cotton by John Philip Sousa arr. Keith Brion and Loras Schissel
An Irish Rhapsody by Clare Grundman
Rippling Watercolors by Brian Balmages
A Trumpeter’s Prayer by Tutti Camarata arr. T. W. Swayzee
Tritsch-Tratsch Polka (Chi-Chat) by Johan Srauss arr. Alfred Reed
Opening Night On Broadway arr. Michael Brown
Concert Band Medley: The Blues Brothers arr. Les Taylor
Amparito Roca by Jamie Texidor arr. Aubrey Winter
God Bless The U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood arr. Roger Holmes

Our tradition of inviting the audience to sing at the beginning and ending of each concert. After the opening fanfare, the audience will sing along on the Star-Spangled Banner. Each concert ends with a familiar patriotic song for the audience to sing. The lyrics to each song are posted on the MCMB’s Website and Facebook page and can be accessed on your smartphone.

The MCMB 154th season consists of ten free Thursday concerts, ending August 11. All concerts begin at 7:30p and last about an hour. Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Michigan City Senior Center. Entrance to the park is free with a Michigan City Park sticker, otherwise there is a small fee.

Rick Carlson, principal trumpet for MCMB, will be the announcer.

Thursday, July 28, 2022 Concert

The eighth concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, July 28, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

Music on the July 28 concert will include:

Pride of the Marines March by Austyn R. Edwards
Eternal Father, Strong to Save by Claude T. Smith
SpongeBob Squarepants arr. Paul Lavender
Be Still My Soul arr. Robert W. Smith
Shania! arr. Ted Ricketts
Ancient Airs of Ireland by Michael Sweeney
Lean on Me by Bill Withers
Children’s March: Over the Hills and Far Away by Percy Grainger
Swingin’ on the Moon arr. William Kamuf
My America arr. Joyce Eilers

Austyn R. Edwards (1891-1977) was a professional trumpet player who taught brass instruments at Valparaiso University, and was conductor of the band at the Kingsbury Ordnance Plant in LaPorte County. In addition to 55 marches, including Pride of the Marines, Mr. Edwards was the author of two important method books for trumpet.

Eternal Father, Strong to Save is also known as The Navy Hymn. Claude T. Smith’s rousing rendition features the horn section, both playing fanfares and as a choir.

All the kids in the audience know how to reply when they hear “Are ya ready kids?” (They shout “Aye, Aye Captain!”) That line means it’s time for the SpongeBob Squarepants cartoon theme song.

Be Still My Soul is a beautiful setting of the lyrical melody from Finlandia.

One of the most successful country artists of the last 30 years is Shania Twain. A native of Canada, Shania has sold over 100 million recordings, and is the best-selling female artist in country music history. She has earned five Grammy Awards, and 27 BMI Songwriter Awards. Our arrangement is simply called Shania!, and includes the following songs:

Man! I Feel Like a Woman

You’re Still the One

From this Moment On

That Don’t Impress Me Much

Ancient Airs of Ireland by Michael Sweeney is one of the most recent commissions of the Indiana Bandmasters Association. Mr. Sweeney is a native Hoosier. The composition includes:

Return from Fingal

Lord Mayo

The Yellow Bittern

Captain O’Kaine

Song of the Chanter

Behind the Bush in the Garden

Sadly, we lost musical legend Bill Withers in 2020. His 1972 hit song, Lean on Me, was one of the anthems during the early months of the pandemic.

Born in Australia, Percy Grainger became a citizen of the USA in 1918. Children’s March: Over the Hills and Far Away is a light-hearted composition that features all of the tone colors of the band, especially bassoons and saxophones.

Swingin’ on the Moon is a clever arrangement that includes: Blue Moon, Moonlight Serenade, and How High the Moon.

Our audience sing-along is Joyce Eilers’ setting of America.

Our only disappointment of the summer is that our collaboration with GySgt. Hiram Diaz, from the US Marine Band—scheduled for July 28—has been postponed, until next summer. Due to events happening in our world, all members of the US Marine Band must remain in Washington, DC until late August.

The MCMB 154th Season consists of ten free Thursday concerts, ending August 11. All concerts begin at 7:30p and last about an hour. The band plays a wide variety of music, with concerts designed to entertain audience members of all ages. Everyone is welcome. School band members and young children are especially encouraged to attend. Parking on Lake Shore Drive is prohibited. Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Senior Center. Entrance to the park is free with a Michigan City Park sticker; otherwise, there is a parking fee of $4 for the band concert.

Jeffrey Scott Doebler is the conductor for the MCMB, and Quincy Ford is the assistant conductor. Dr. Doebler serves as director of music education and bands at Valparaiso University. Mr. Ford, principal saxophone in the MCMB, is retired director of bands and music department chair from Michigan City High School.

The band’s announcer is Rick Carlson.

Thursday, July 21, 2022 Concert

The seventh concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal (MCMB) will be held on Thursday, July 21, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. The band plays a variety of music designed to entertain audience members of all ages. All concerts are free and everyone is welcome. Jeffrey Scott Doebler is the conductor for MCMB and Quincy Ford is the assistant conductor. Dr. Doebler serves as director of music education at Valparaiso University. Mr. Ford, principal saxophone in the MCMB, is retired director of bands and music department chairperson at Michigan City High School. Quincy Ford will lead the band this week.

The July 21 concert repertoire will include:

El Capitan by John Philip Sousa
Moorside March by Gustav Holst arr. Gordon Jacob
Rhapsody on a French Hymn by David Gorham
Dry Your Tears, Afrika by John Williams arr. Paul Lavender
Slippery Joe (Trombone Trio w/band) by Joe Bennett arr. Art Dedrick
The Sound of Music by Rogers and Hammerstein arr. Robert R. Bennett
Themes Like Old Times arr. Warren Barker
Danger Zone by Moroder & Whitlock arr. Michael Story
March “the Southerner” by Russell Alexander arr. Glenn Cliff Bainum
This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie arr. John Warrington

Our tradition of inviting the audience to sing at the beginning and ending of each concert will continue. After the opening fanfare, the audience will sing along on the Star-Spangled Banner. Each concert ends with a familiar patriotic song for the audience to sing. The lyrics to each song are posted on the MCMB’s Facebook page and can be accessed on your smartphone.

The MCMB 154th season consists of ten free Thursday concerts, ending August 11. All concerts begin at 7:30p and last about an hour. Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Michigan City Senior Center. Entrance to the park is free with a Michigan City Park sticker, otherwise there is a small parking fee.

Rick Carlson, principal trumpet for MCMB, will be the announcer.

Thursday, July 14, 2022 Concert

The sixth concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, July 14, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

Jesse AyersIn addition to several selections in popular and traditional styles, the band will present the premiere of its 2022 commission, Where the Stormy Winds Blow. This engaging work was composed by Jesse Ayers of Ohio. Among Dr. Ayers’ many honors are the 2020 Governor’s Award for Ohio’s Outstanding Artist, and the inaugural American Prize for Orchestral Composition in 2011. Dr. Ayers holds the DMA degree from the University of Kentucky, and is Professor Emeritus at Malone University. Dr. Jeffrey Scott Doebler, conductor of the MCMB, has had the privilege of conducting five premieres of Dr. Ayers’ compositions, as well as creating audio and video recordings of the composer’s music.

Rick AmRheinWhere the Stormy Winds Blow features a narrator who recounts the story through spoken word and singing. The narrator will be Richard AmRhein. Mr. AmRhein most recently served as chief information officer and chief of staff for the office of the president at Valparaiso University. He holds degrees in music, library science, and law, having studied at Eastern Illinois University, Baylor University, Rutgers University, and Valparaiso University.

Where the Stormy Winds BlowWhere the Stormy Winds Blow is based on a true story that occurred on Lake Michigan in 1873. It happened during a supply run from Beaver Island to Traverse City. The saga is based on 1937 audio field recordings from the Library of Congress. These Library of Congress recordings are oral accounts from two residents of Beaver Island who had personal knowledge of the events that took place. The gist of the story is what led to a happy ending after a tragic shipwreck.

The composition also employs a Lake Michigan sea shanty called The Gallagher Boys, also captured on the 1937 field recordings. Members of the audience will have the opportunity to sing along on the shanty, by joining on the repeat of the one-line refrain.

The audience will be captivated by this compelling story.

The MCMB is honored that Dr. Ayers plans to attend the concert on July 14.

The MCMB 154th Season consists of ten free Thursday concerts, ending August 11. All concerts begin at 7:30p and last about an hour. The band plays a wide variety of music, with concerts designed to entertain audience members of all ages. Everyone is welcome. School band members and young children are especially encouraged to attend. Parking on Lake Shore Drive is prohibited. Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Senior Center. Entrance to the park is free with a Michigan City Park sticker; otherwise, there is a parking fee.

The parking fee on Thursday nights for band concerts has been reduced to $4.00.

Jeffrey Scott Doebler is the conductor for the MCMB, and Quincy Ford is the assistant conductor. Dr. Doebler serves as director of music education and bands at Valparaiso University. Mr. Ford, principal saxophone in the MCMB, is retired director of bands and music department chair from Michigan City High School.

The band’s announcer is Rick Carlson.

Thursday, July 7, 2022 Concert

The fifth concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held on Thursday, July 7, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.  The band plays a variety of music designed to entertain audience member of all ages.  All concerts are free and everyone is welcome.  Jeffrey Scott Doebler is the conductor for MCMB and Quincy Ford is the assistant conductor.  Dr. Doebler serves as director of music education at Valparaiso University.  Mr. Ford, principal saxophone in the MCMB, is retired director of bands and music department chairperson at Michigan City High School.  Assistant conductor Quincy Ford will lead the band this week.
The July 7 concert repertoire will include:
Washington Post March by John Philip Sousa
A Jubilant Overture by Alfred Reed
Amazing Grace by Frank Ticheli
Octane by Quincy Hilliard
Hello by Adele Adkins and Greg Kurstin arr. Michael brown
The Queen of Soul (Remembering Aretha Franklin) arr. Paul Murtha
Kentucky Trotter by Frank Perkins
Music for a Summer Night by Glenn Osser
INGLESINA  “The Little English Girl” by David Delle Cese arr. John R. Bourgeois
America the Beautiful arr. Warren Barker
Our tradition of inviting the audience to sing at the beginning and ending of of each concert has returned.  After the opening fanfare, the audience will sing along on the Star Spangled Banner.  Each concerts ends with a familiar patriotic song for the audience to sing.  The lyrics to each song are posted every week on the MCMB’s Facebook page as well as the homepage of our website and can be accessed on your smartphone.
The MCMB 154th season consists of ten free Thursday concerts, ending August 11.  All concerts begin at 7:30p and last about an hour.  Parking is available in the lots closest to the amphitheater, as well as the Michigan City Senior Center.  Entrance to the park is free with a Michigan City Park sticker, otherwise there is a small parking fee.
Rick Carlson, principal trumpet for MCMB, will be the announcer.

Thursday, June 30, 2022 Concert

The fourth concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, June 30, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. The concert will celebrate Independence Day.

The June 30 concert repertoire will be:

March: The National Game by John Philip Sousa
Someone to Watch Over Me by George Gershwin – Anne Marie Bice, soprano
Moon River by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer – Anne Marie Bice, soprano
Castles in Europe by James Reese Europe
American Riversongs by Pierre LaPlante – Charles Steck, conductor
On a Hymnsong of Lowell Mason by David Holsinger – Charles Steck, conductor
A Time to Dance by Julie Giroux
A Prayer for Peace by John Williams
Amber Waves of Grain by James Curnow
A Patriotic Festival by Mark Williams – Anne Marie Bice, song leader
The Stars and Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

Anne Marie BiceGuest soprano soloist will be Anne Marie Bice, voice professor from Valparaiso University. Ms. Bice has extensive performance experience and sings in a wide variety of styles. Prof. Bice will sing music by George Gershwin, Henry Mancini, and Johnny Mercer.

Conducting two selections will be Charles Steck, who serves as conductor of the LaPorte City Band and associate conductor of the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra. Prof. Steck teaches trumpet at Valparaiso University and performs with many local ensembles.

John Philip Sousa composed The National Game in 1925 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of baseball’s National League. Mr. Sousa was a baseball fan, and the Sousa Band had its own baseball team, on which Mr. Sousa served as pitcher. Audience members will hear baseball bat solos in the final section of the march, and will be encouraged to cheer when our batters get a hit!

Soprano Anne Marie Bice will be featured on two of the most famous songs in the great American song book: Someone to Watch Over Me by George Gershwin, and Moon River by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer.

Castles in Europe is a Ragtime march by James Reese Europe, who became the first African-American bandmaster in the US Army. Maestro Europe was famous throughout the United States before World War I with his society orchestras, which were somewhat similar to ensembles like the Sousa Band. Mr. Europe’s society orchestras played lots of Ragtime and Jazz, and were among the first to record Jazz music. James Reese Europe became known as the “King of Jazz.” At the height of his fame, and with the Great War just underway, James Reese Europe enlisted in the New York National Guard. Lieutenant Europe was charged with forming an outstanding band. His band became the 369th Regiment, and was the first African American regiment sent to France. The 369th Regiment earned a reputation for being especially tough in combat.

Charles SteckWe’re thrilled to be collaborating with Charles Steck, conductor of the LaPorte City Band. Maestro Steck will guest conduct two selections with the Michigan City Municipal Band. American Riversongs was created by Pierre LaPlante, and includes many famous songs, including Shenandoah, The Glendy Burke, and Down the River. On a Hymnsong of Lowell Mason is based on the famous hymn My Faith Looks Up to Thee. It is especially appropriate, because the hymn’s composer, Lowell Mason, is considered the father of American music education.
Continue reading

Thursday, June 23, 2022 Concert

The third concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, June 23, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

The June 23 concert repertoire will be:

The Invincible Eagle March by John Philip Sousa
Lightnin’ by Rudy Wiedoeft and Hugo Frey George Wolfe, saxophone
Persuasion by Sammy Nestico George Wolfe, saxophone
Tudor Sketches by William Owens
Folk Songs of Britain by Guy Foreman
Lady Gaga Dance Mix arr. Ted Ricketts
Anthem for Peace by Ed Huckeby
Highlights from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
Cirbiribin by Alberto Pestalozza
From Sea to Shining Sea by Maurice Whitney

Dr. George WolfGuest soloist will be George Wolfe. Dr. Wolfe is Professor Emeritus at Ball State University, where he taught saxophone performance and chamber music for 32 years. He has performed extensively throughout the United States, and has also concertized in Europe, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Canada, India, Korea and Japan. He has been heard on radio stations across the US, and has appeared as a soloist with such ensembles as the Royal Band of the Belgian Air force, the United States Navy Band, the World Band at Disney World, the Medalist Concert Band in Minneapolis, and Windiana Concert Band. Critics have praised his playing as “brilliant and moving.” John Lambert, writing in the Winston Salem Spectator, described Wolfe’s performance as “a deeply satisfying and moving artistic experience.”

Dr. Wolfe holds a Performance Certificate from Indiana University, where he studied with Eugene Rousseau and Daniel Deffayet. He is featured on eight volumes of the compact disk series America’s Millennium Tribute to Adolphe Sax, distributed by Arizona University Recordings. He has presented master classes at the Paris Conservatory, Indiana University, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Dr. Wolfe will perform two solos with the MCMB: Lightnin’ by Rudy Wiedoeft and Hugo Frey, and Persuasion by Sammy Nestico. Rudy Wiedoeft was one of the early saxophone virtuosos. He made more than 300 recordings, and is credited with helping to popularize the saxophone (invented by Adolphe Sax in 1840) in the USA and Europe. Sammy Nestico was one of the most successful jazz composers of the last 50 years. He is perhaps best well-known for his compositions and arrangements for the Count Basie Band. Persuasion is a beautiful ballad.

The Sousa Band played twice in Michigan City:

1914—Tuesday, October 13, evening, Orpheum Theater

1924—Monday, November 10, matinee, Tivoli Theater

The 1914 tour also included concerts in LaPorte and Valparaiso. Since The Invincible Eagle was on the 1914 tour program, it is likely that the Sousa Band played it in Michigan City, LaPorte, and Valparaiso.Continue reading

Thursday, June 16, 2022 Concert

The second concert of the 154th season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, June 16, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

The June 16 concert repertoire will be:

Hands Across the Sea by John Philip Sousa
James Bond Suite arr. Frank Erickson Anne Marie Bice, soprano soloist
Over the Rainbow by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Yarburg Anne Marie Bice, soprano soloist
Ring of Fire by June Carter & Merle Kilgore
The Doors in Concert arr. Paul Murtha
It’s All Right by Curtis Mayfield
Resting in the Peace of His Hands by John Gibson
The Circus Bee by Henry Fillmore
A Patriotic Festival arr. Mark Williams Anne Marie Bice, song leader

Anne Marie BiceGuest soloist will be Anne Marie Bice, voice professor from Valparaiso University. Ms. Bice has extensive performance experience and sings in a wide variety of styles. Prof. Bice will sing music by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Yarburg, and music associated with James Bond movies.

John Philip Sousa composed Hands Across the Sea in 1899, with no specific overseas country in mind. It was meant to symbolize America’s friendship with other nations around the world. Coincidentally, the march was on the program for the Sousa Band’s first European tour the year after it was composed.

The James Bond Suite will showcase Anne Marie Bice singing four well-known Bond songs: James Bond Theme, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, and Goldfinger. Then Prof. Bice will take us to the Emerald City with Warren Barker’s arrangement of Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz.Continue reading

Thursday, June 9, 2022 Concert

The Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will begin its 154th season on Thursday, June 9, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

The MCMB 154th season will consist of ten free Thursday concerts, beginning June 9, and ending August 11. All concerts begin at 7:30p and last about an hour. The band plays a wide variety of music, with concerts designed to entertain audience members of all ages. The MCMB also plays for the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery, and in the Michigan City Patriotic Parade.

Highlights of the summer concert series include special guest soloists and two commissions by award-winning composers. Soloists will be GySgt. Hiram Diaz, euphonium, from the US Marine Band (July 28); Dr. George Wolfe, saxophone (June 23); Anne Marie Bice, soprano (June 16 and 30); and Rick AmRhein, baritone/narrator (July 14). Additional soloists may be announced later in the season.

The world premiere of Where the Stormy Winds Blow by Dr. Jesse Ayers will take place on July 14. The work is based on a true story, recorded in the Library of Congress, about a Lake Michigan shipwreck with a triumphal ending. Rick AmRhein will serve as narrator and baritone soloist, and the audience will be invited to sing along on a Lake Michigan sea shanty. On July 28, the Concerto for Euphonium and Band by Tom Davoren will showcase the band with world-class euphonium soloist GySgt. Hiram Diaz, in three beautiful and dazzling movements.

The June 9 concert repertoire will be:

Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland
Sinatra in Concert arr. Jerry Nowak
A Hymn of Peace by Daniel Chisham
Heartbeat Song by Kelly Clarkson
Grandmother Song by Brent Michael Davids
Don’t Stop Me Now by Freddie Mercury
Who’s That Masked Man? by Jay Bocook
Prayer for Ukraine by Mykola Lysenko
How Far I’ll Go by Lin-Manuel Miranda
America, the Beautiful arr. Warren Barker

The band’s two opening numbers honor the late Bruce Fischer, who played percussion in the MCMB for several decades. Fanfare for the Common Man is the instantly-recognized composition by Aaron Copland that was commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra during World War II. Sinatra in Concert features some of the most famous songs of “Old Blue Eyes”, including New York, New York; It Was a Very Good Year; The Lady is a Tramp; and My Way.Continue reading