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.
In 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.
Where 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 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.
Guest 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.
We’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.
Guest 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.”