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With over 60
performers, the Middlesex Concert Band of Wakefield, Massachusetts
has a rich symphonic sound. The repertoire includes traditional
and contemporary wind ensemble music, marches, big band sounds,
folk tunes and music from Broadway and Hollywood. From September
to May, the Middlesex Concert Band presents a series
of pops and holiday concerts. During the summer months, the
band can be heard playing traditional outdoor concerts in
town parks and commons throughout the region.
For more than 50 years, the Middlesex Concert
Band has been contributing to the rich cultural life of the
Greater Boston area. Originally conceived as the Redmen's
Band, it began as an offshoot of the fraternal organization
for descendants of the Boston Tea Party "Indians."
Based in its early years in Wakefield and Melrose, it may
be recalled as the Redmen's Marching Band, renowned for its
colorful and authentic Plains Indian costumes that included
full headdress.
In 1974, the Redmen's Band evolved into
a wind ensemble and became known as the Middlesex Concert
Band. Since then, it has become one of the area's outstanding
community musical organizations, made up of more than 60 talented
men and women of all ages who volunteer their time and effort
to rehearse and perform concerts year-round throughout the
Greater Boston area.
The Middlesex Concert Band is chartered
to provide an enjoyable listening experience, while helping
to educate members of the band and the audience with exposure
to a broad variety of music.
The purpose of the Middlesex Concert Band
is to provide a performance medium for musicians, both professional
and amateur, thereby promoting a greater knowledge and appreciation
of the great wealth of wind music available. A second, but
equally important purpose, is to bring the joys of music through
performance to a wide spectrum of listening audiences.
In December, 2002, the Middlesex
Concert Band recorded a CD of holiday favorites. The holiday
CD joins the band's 25th Anniversary commemorative
CD recorded in 2000 in the group's growing collection of
recordings. Both CDs can be ordered by clicking on the CD
Collections link at the left.
The band traveled to Quebec City
in August 2002, where it performed two concerts and enjoyed
a few days of sightseeing in the Canadian city. In 1998,
the band traveled to Europe during the holiday season to
take part in an annual music festival sponsored by Sunshine
Parades, Int'l. During that trip, the band performed concerts
in France, Monaco and Italy, featuring a repetoire of American
music including a tribute to George Gershwin and a new work
by local composer Stephen Bulla.
The roster of highly accomplished
former music directors who have guided the band during the
past 27 years includes:
James O'Dell, music director 2004-current
Mark Aldrich, music director 2002-2003
David W. Rox, music director 1997-2002
Robson W. Shelly, music director 1985-1997
Ric Madru, music director 1979-1985
Michael E. Cooney, Jr. founding music director 1975-1979
In the recent past the Middlesex
Concert Band has had the privilege to present several acclaimed
musicians who have appeared as guest soloists, including:
Ronald Barron, trombone; Daniel M. Clark, the singing Trooper;
Lennie Hochman, saxophone; William Gray, tuba; Deborah Moscoso,
soprano; and F. Chester Roberts, narrator. The band has
also been proud to present several of its own members as
featured soloists through the years.
In May 2002, the band was honored
to present the premiere of the band and choral arrangement
of We Are Americans, composed by local composer Maureen
A. Condon to commemorate the victims of the September 11th
tragedy. The performance took place at our annual Spring
Pops Concert, held in conjunction with the Wakefield Choral
Society each year. In 1996, the Middlesex Concert Band was
honored to commission and present the world premiere of
a composition for solo trombone and concert band entitled
Rhapsody for solo trombone and concert band by Lawrence
Wolfe, assistant principal string bass of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra, featuring Ronald Barron, principal trombone of
the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as the soloist. The band
also commissioned and presented the world premiere of The
Dunes East of Shinnecock-A Fancy for Symphony Band by Paul
Dorsam in 1995.
Middlesex
Concert Band
P.O. Box 128
Wakefield, MA 01880
Email: info
@ MCBconcertband.org (spaces have been
added to help avert spammers, please be sure to remove spaces
before emailing)
Website: http://www.MCBconcertband.org
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