Southfield, MI, February 10, 2010 – Motor City Brass Band (MCBB), a metro Detroit British-style brass band, will present a concert of community bands entitled Motor City Festival of Bands. The festivities will take place on Sunday, March 14 at 3:00 p.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center (FCPAC) in Dearborn.
The concert will open with the Farmington Community Band playing the March from Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique) by Tchaikovsky, October by Eric Whitacre, Four Scottish Dances by Malcom Arnold, and the George Washington Bicentennial March by John Philip Sousa. Farmington Community Band is directed by Damien Crutcher.
Capitol City Brass Band will then take the stage with John Williams’ Olympic Spirit, Robert Redhead’s Corpus Christi and Pat Metheny’s Minuano. The Capitol City Brass Band is under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Kroesche.
The Warren Concert Band will continue the festivities with the Tenth Regiment March by Robert Brown Hall and the Finale from Symphony No.1 by Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov. The Warren Concert Band is under the direction of Douglas Bianchi.
The West Michigan Concert Winds will represent Muskegon with performances of The Crosley March by Henry Fillmore, A Brass Thing by Danny Elfman, In Yonder Valley, Movement 1 from Simple Gifts by Frank Ticheli, Velocity by Robert Sheldon and Salute to Kansas March by John Philip Sousa. The West Michigan Concert Winds are directed by Gail Brechting.
Motor City’s own British-style brass band will get its due when MCBB performs Akademische Festfanfare by Peter Graham, The Purple Twilight by Robert Longfield (arr. Craig Strain), Fanfare & Theme by Drew Fennel, and The PartingGlass arranged by Craig Strain. MCBB is under the direction of Craig Strain.
The Festival of Bands will conclude when the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director Leonard Slatkin conducts all five bands comprising 264 players in a rousing performance of Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral by Richard Wagner and the Home Stretch by Leroy Anderson.
Ticket Information
Tickets purchased through the MCBB hotline are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and free for children 12 and under. To purchase at these reduced rates, call 248-788-6618. Tickets purchased from the FCPAC Box Office are $15 for adults and $12 for students & seniors. The FCPAC Box Office can be reached at 313-943-2354.
Concert Information
Motor City Festival of Bands
Motor City Brass Band with Farmington Community Band, Capitol City Brass Band, Warren Concert Band and West Michigan Concert Winds
Sunday, March 14, 3:00 PM
Ford Community & Performing Arts Center
15801 Michigan Avenue
Dearborn, MI
Modeled after the traditional British brass band, Motor City Brass Band represents an American take on a beloved British custom. The ensemble’s unique blend of innovation and authenticity has earned it a reputation for musical excellence and high-quality entertainment, ensuring a constant demand for performances. More information is available at www.mcbb.org.