The fourth concert of the 153rd season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, July 1, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park. In honor of Independence Day, many of the compositions will be patriotic.

The July 1 concert repertoire will be:

America, the Beautiful arr. Carmen Dragon
El Relicario by Jose Padilla
Hello Dolly by Jerry Herman
This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood arr. Paul Murtha
National Emblem March by E. E. Bagley
The Best of Carole King arr. Johnnie Vinson
This is My Country by Don Raye and Al Jacobs
Highlights from Sophisticated Ladies by Duke Ellington
March for Peace by Edwin Franko Goldman
The Stars and Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

Even if they don’t know the titles, audience members will recognize the melodies from all of the music, including medleys from Hello Dolly, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Carole King, and Duke Ellington.

This will be an especially nice week to celebrate families and celebrate the United States of America!

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The third concert of the 153rd season of the Michigan City Municipal Band will be held Thursday, June 24, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

The June 24 concert repertoire will be:

On Wings of Flight by Michael Boo
Mountains in the Mist by Michael Boo
Three Dances by Florence Price
Gentle Annie by Stephen Foster
Another Op’nin’ Another Show by Cole Porter
The Rhythm Stand by Jennifer Higdon
Peace by Frank Ticheli
Bolero Espanol by Ernesto Lecuona
George Washington Bicentennial March by John Philip Sousa
A Patriotic Festival arr. Mark Williams

Guest soloist on the June 24 concert 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 Stephen Foster and Cole Porter.

Since the end of the 2019 MCMB season, five band members have died. Our plan is to honor each at a concert this summer. On June 17, we remembered long-time tuba player Norm Jones. This week, we will honor composer and percussionist Michael Boo.

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The second concert of the 153rd season of the Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will be held Thursday, June 17, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

The June 17 concert repertoire will be:

Warrior Legacy by Soon Hee Newbold

On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss by David Holsinger

The Thunderer March by John Philip Sousa

Folk Suite by William Grant Still

Spring by Johan de Meij

Blue Moon by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

El Condor Pasa by Daniel Robles

Quad City Stomp by Michael Sweeney

America, the Beautiful arr. Warren Barker

Guest soloist on the June 17 concert 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 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and Dutch composer Johan de Meij.

Since last week, we learned that another long-serving member of the Michigan City Municipal Band died since our 2019 season. Norm Jones played tuba in the band for many years, and also served as the band’s secretary/treasurer. The MCMB’s June 17 performance of On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss will be played in honor of Norm. The text for the hymn includes the line “It is well with my soul.”

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The Michigan City Municipal Band (MCMB) will begin its 153^rd season on Thursday, June 10, 7:30p, at the Guy F. Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater in Washington Park.

The MCMB 153^rd Season will consist of ten free Thursday concerts, beginning June 10, and ending August 12. 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 June 10 concert repertoire will be:

Dedicatory Overture by Clifton Williams

Air for Band by Frank Erickson

Credo by William Owens

Washington Post March by John Philip Sousa

Stitches in Time: A Second Piece (premiere) by Meredith Brammeier

Mexican Hat Dance by Felipe A. Partichela

Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim, arr. Michael Brown

Whip and Spur Galop by Fred S. Allen, arr. Ray Cramer

My America arr. Joyce Eilers

Beau Monde (premiere) by Jack Stamp

Dedicatory Overture is being played in honor of those who have lost their lives since the MCMB last performed in 2019, including former band members Steve Hornyak, Bud Westphal, Dr. Charles Janovsky, and Michael Boo. By playing specific favorites of each musician, later in the season, these gentlemen will be honored individually.

Stitches in Time: A Second Piece is the MCMB’s 2020 commission. The three-movement composition is based on quilt patterns. Composer Meredith Brammeier teaches at California Polytechnical Institute in San Luis Obispo, and earned degrees from the University of Southern California, Eastman School of Music, and Princeton University.

Beau Monde is the MCMB’s 2021 commission. It is an exciting and creative adaptation of the famous hymn For the Beauty of the Earth. Dr. Jack Stamp, the composer, served for many years at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is also the founder and conductor of a professional concert band called Keystone Winds. In retirement, Dr. Stamp is teaching at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

To help keep musicians and audience members safe, band members will follow strict safety protocols, including bell covers on woodwind and brass instruments, physical distancing, and masks.

All of the concerts are free, and 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.

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