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.
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.”