Children's Concert 2021
2021-10-03 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Dolbeare Elementary School, 340 Lowell St, Wakefield
The History of Music: A Musical Journey Through Time
Program:

Folk Song Suite – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

1. Seventeen Come Sunday

William Byrd Suite – Gordon Jacob (1895-1984)

a suite of songs by William Byrd (c. 1540-1623)
1. Earle of Oxford
5. Wolsey’s Wilde

Prelude and Fugue in g minor – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)(arr. Cailliet)
Chorale & Shaker Dance – John P. Zdechlik (1937-2020)
Stars & Stripes Forever – John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
Amazing Grace – Frank Ticheli (b. 1958)
Hooray for Hollywood – (arr. Barker)

a medley of classics from stage & screen

A Walk in the Morning Sun – Pierre LaPlante (b. 1943)
Duke Ellington! – (arr. Custer)

a medley of songs by Duke Ellington (1889-1974)

Rain Date: Sunday, October 17, 2:00 PM

Holiday Concert 2021
2021-12-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Americal Civic Center, Wakefield, MA
Join us for a FREE Holiday Concert at the Americal Civic Center in Wakefield

Saturday, December 11 – 7:00 – 8:30 PM

Program

Overture for a Winter Festival – James Curnow (b. 1943)
Nativity Carol – John Rutter (b. 1945) (arr. Musgrave)
Christmas Intrada – Alfred Reed (1921-2005)
Stille Nacht – Franz Xavier Gruber (1787-1863) (arr. De Haan)
Go Tell it On the Mountain – Traditional (arr. Dawson)
The Eighth Candle – Steve Reisteter (b. 1957)
Angels of Joy – Traditional (arr. Rosell)
Gesu Bambino – Pietro Yon (1886-1943) (arr. Rogers)
Jingle Bells Swing – James Pierpont (1822-1893) (arr. Lortz)
A Most Wonderful Christmas – (arr. Sheldon)

Click/tap here for the full version of our program (.pdf format).

Due to Covid requirements, attendance will be capped much lower than previous years. Please reserve tickets to ensure seats. To see more about the precautions we are taking for Covid look at our Covid Protocols page

Spring Concert 2022
2022-03-13 15:00 - 16:30 | Galvin School 525 Main St Wakefield, MA 01880
Join us for our Spring Concert at the Galvin Auditorium on Sunday, March 13th at 3:00

Galvin School
525 Main St
Wakefield, MA 01880

Program:

Celebration ( Standridge)
Cajun Folk Songs 2 (Ticheli)
Danzon no. 2 (Marquez)
Into the Woods (Sondheim)
The Promise of Living (Copland)
We Will Remember Them (Wagner)
Big Band Favorites (arr Lowden)

📄 Click/tap here for the full version of our program (.pdf format).
🎟 Please reserve tickets to ensure seats.

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This concert is free, but for contract tracing and general planning needs we are asking attendees to reserve tickets. Reserve your tickets now!
Each ticket is for a single adult/senior/child.
Tickets will not be distributed/emailed. Please check in at the desk on your way in.
We are accepting donations to help cover the cost of putting on this event. Use the buttons below if you would like to donate.

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Spring into Summer 2022
2022-06-05 15:00
Join us at the Galvin Auditorium for a fun concert

4th of July (Melrose)
2022-07-04 18:00
Join us in at Mt Hood for our annual 4th of July concert!

Concert by the Lake
2022-07-07 19:00 - 20:30

Children's Concert 2022
2022-10-02 14:00 - 15:00 | Americal Civic Center, Wakefield, MA 01880
Children who learn music at an early age have been shown to perform better in most other areas of development. Hoping to help ignite that creative spark in our local youth, the Middlesex Concert Band presents its annual children’s concert on Sunday, October 2, 2022 at the Americal Civic Center in Wakefield, MA.
Each year, this free concert, which is geared toward children four to nine years of age, focuses on a different aspect of music—demonstrating for the audience how tempos, rhythms, instruments, etc. are combined to bring a composer’s vision to life. This year’s theme is “The Sounds of Music” (no relation to the musical of the same name).

Flourish for Wind Band – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Appalachian Spring excerpts – Aaron Copland (1900-1990) (arr. Longfield)
Old Churches – Michael Colgrass (1932-2019)
The Country Club Stomp – JaRod Hall (b. 1991)
Shenandoah – Traditional (arr. Omar Thomas, b. 1984)
Travelin’ Music, based on “The Arkansas Traveler” – Robert Sheldon (b. 1954)
Stars & Stripes Forever – John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
El Relicario – Jose Padilla (1889-1960) (arr. Longfield)
Sandpaper Ballet – Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)
French Impressions – Guy Woolfenden (1937-2016)
I. Parade
II. Can Can
Latina – Frank Bencriscutto (1928-1997)

Click here to view the program for our Children’s Concert 2022!

Wakefield Holiday Stroll 2022
2022-12-03 14:15 - 17:30 | Rockland Trust, 381 Main St, Wakefield
Come see small groups from MCB at the Holiday Stroll on Main St in Wakefield. We will be at the Rockland Trust starting at 2:15pm AND at the Wakefield Co-Operative Bank at 2:30. Here is our schedule:

Rockland Trust Bank 381 Main St, Wakefield, MA 01880, USA
2:15 – Saxophone Sextet
2:55 – Brass Quintet
3:35 – Trumpet Quartet
4:15 – Woodwind Quintet
4:55 – Clarinets

Wakefield Co-Operative Bank 342 Main St, Wakefield, MA 01880, USA
2:30 – Brass Quintet
2:55 – Sax Sextet
3:30 – Woodwind Quintet

Holiday Concert 2022
2022-12-04 15:00 - 17:00 | Galvin School 525 Main St Wakefield, MA 01880
Please join us for our annual holiday concert – you can even RSVP on Facebook and invite your friends & family!
Pieces we will include Good Swing Wenceslas, Russian Christmas Music, and Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. We also welcome vocalist April Foley, who will sing Grown-Up Christmas List and lead the audience in a holiday sing-along.
We will also have a variety of homemade cookies for sale.
📖 View the Digital Program for Holiday Concert 2022 – click here (opens in a new window)!

Spring Concert 2023
2023-03-25 19:30 - 21:00 | Galvin School 525 Main St Wakefield, MA 01880
Join us for our Spring Concert at the Galvin Auditorium on Saturday, March 25th at 7:30 PM
Click here for the digital program!
Galvin School
525 Main Street
Wakefield, MA 01880

Click here to reserve tickets

Spring into Summer 2023
2023-06-18 15:00 - 16:30 | Galvin School 525 Main St Wakefield, MA 01880
Join us for our final formal performance of the season. June 18th at 3:00 PM

This is a free event thanks to an anonymous donor.

Digital program – click here!

The program includes:

Overture for Band Op. 24 – Felix MendelssohnMother of a Revolution – Omar ThomasSymphony No. 3 – Vittorio GianniniRollo Takes a Walk – David MaslankaCascading Trumpets – Albert Oliver DavisVariations on a Korean Folk Song – John Barnes ChanceOblivion – Astor Piazzolla — Jim Foltz, clarinet soloistPolka and Fugue – Jaromir Weinberger

Galvin Middle SchoolWakefield, MAauditorium opens at 2:30pm

4th of July at Mount Hood
2023-07-04 18:30 - 20:30 | Mt Hood, Melrose, MA
Bring a blanket or chairs and find a spot on the lawn outside the clubhouse. Join us for our annual evening concert at Mound Hood in Melrose.

Star Spangled Banner – Key

Armed Forces Medley — arr. by Lew Buckley

The Country Club Stomp! – JaRod Hall

Elegy for a Young American – Ronald Lo Presti

The Thunderer – John Philip Sousa

Travelin’ Music – arr. Robert Sheldon

Cascading Trumpets – Albert Oliver Davis

Golden Age of Broadway – arr. Warren Barker

Oblivion – Astor Piazzolla/arr. Longfield

Suite from Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda/arr. Brubaker

America the Beautiful – Samuel Ward (arr. Carmen Dragon)

Stars and Stripes Forever – John Philip Sousa

Concert on the Common
2023-07-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Wakefield Common, Wakefield MA
This event has been made possible by a generous donation from The Farmland

Join us by the lake in Wakefield for an outdoor concert.

Star Spangled Banner – Key

Latina – Frank Bencriscutto

The Country Club Stomp! – JaRod Hall

Elegy for a Young American – Lo Presti

The Thunderer – John Philip Sousa

Travelin’ Music – arr. Robert Sheldon

Cascading Trumpets – Albert Oliver Davis

Golden Age of Broadway – Barker

Oblivion – Astor Piazzolla/arr. Longfield

Rollo Takes a Walk – David Maslanka

Suite from Hamilton – arr. Burbaker

America the Beautiful – Samuel Ward (arr. Carmen Dragon)

Digital program (full version) click here

Children's Concert
2023-10-15 14:00 - 15:00 | Americal Civic Center, Wakefield, MA
Join us at the Americal Civic Center in Wakefield for our fall Children’s Concert. This year’s program is called “The Shapes of Music”

“A Band of Heroes” is a musical choose-your-own-adventure, with audience members choosing how the story and accompanying music will progress. And there will be a drawing for one kid to conduct us for “Stars & Stripes Forever”

The program includes:

All Aboard — Nathan FarrellBand of Heroes — Erika Svanoe (b. 1976)El Via Cortez — Thomas Root (1947-2023)Fanfare for a New Era — PinkzebraFive To Go — Jack Bullock (1929-2022)October — Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)Stars & Stripes Forever — John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)The Penny-Whistle Song — Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)(ed. Rogers)Pie in the Face Polka — Henry Mancini (1954-1994)(arr. Vinson)Terpsichorean Dances — Jodie Blackshaw (b. 1971)(after Praetorius)Trumpets, Olé! — Frank D. Cofield (1913-2005)

Wakefield Holiday Stroll
2023-12-02 12:00
Details TBD

Holiday Concert 2023
2023-12-03 15:00 | Galvin Middle School, Wakefield, MA
Start your Holiday season off with Middlesex Concert Band!

Join us for holiday classics, a sing-along, and a cookie sale. Featuring vocalist April Foley.

The program will consist of these and more:

Festival Fanfare for Christmas – John Wasson

The Nightmare Before Christmas – Danny Elfman (arr Brown)

(Everybody’s Waitin’ for )The Man with the Bag – Taylor, Brooks, & Stanley – Featuring April Foley

Christmas Serenade Warren Barker

Rhapsody for Hannukkah Stephen Bulla

White Christmas – Irving Berlin – Featuring April Foley

Christmas Day – Gustav Holst (arr Rhoads)

And the Mountains Echoed Gloria – Robert Longfield

Rhosymedre – Ralph Vaughan Williams (arr Beeler)

A Christmas Festival – Leroy Anderson

We will also be selling Holiday Cookies during intermission!

This event will have free admission thanks to an anonymous donor.

See this event on Facebook

Spring Concert 2024
2024-03-23 19:30 - 21:30 | Galvin Middle School, Wakefield, MA
Join us at the Galvin for our Spring Concert!Saturday, March 23, 2024 @ 7:30pmGalvin Middle School, Wakefield, MA

The program includes:

Cyprian Suite – Carol Barnett

The Cyprian Suite is one of a series of works written following a trip to Cyprus in 1999. Each of its four movements is based on a Cypriot folk song. The first, Servikos, is an instrumental dance in Serbian style, often played on the violin. In the second, Lullaby, a mother asks Saint Marina to take her baby to the world of sweet dreams and bring it safely back. She entrusts her baby to sleep, which will take her child and give it back to her grown up like a cypress tree, with branches extending from East to West. In the third, Exomológhisis, a man who had a lot of love affairs went to his priest to confess. The priest advised him to start a new life and stop having affairs. The man replied, “Father, if you deny the Holy Communion and the Divine Service, then I will deny love.” In the last song, the singer complains, “I loved her from the bottom of my heart, but she was indifferent, and I have suffered.”

(From: https://www.windrep.org/Cyprian_Suite)

Elegy for the USS Arizona – Larry MacTaggart

A moving musical tribute that will enhance any concert or festival performance. Beginning with the solemn sounds of snare drum, this wonderfully written piece honors the memory of the sailors of the U.S.S. Arizona with the familiar sounds of Eternal Father Strong to Save. Whether used as part of veteran ceremonies or in concerts, this moving work will inspire and impress all who hear it.

(From: https://www.jwpepper.com/Elegy-for-the-U.S.S.-Arizona/10276473.item)

French Impressions – Guy Wolfenden

This work is inspired by four paintings by the French painter Georges Seurat, but does not attempt to recreate his pointillist technique in musical terms. The first movement, Parade, contrasts the strange gas-lit world of “La Parade de Cirque: Invitation to the Sideshow,” which features a sinister-looking trombone player and his ghostly acolytes, with the cool detached stance of that great masterpiece “A Bathing Place: Asnières.” The second movement, Can Can, recreates the world of two other paintings: “Le Cirque” and “Le Chahut,” which depicts a curiously stylised Can Can in full swing, accompanied by a pit orchestra. The phrase “faire du chahut” means to make a racket!

(From: https://www.windrep.org/French_Impressions)

From The Delta – William Grant Still

From the Delta was composed in 1945 for the Goldman Band of New York City. Its three movements (Work Song; Spiritual; Dance) were meant to capture the essence of what life was like on the Mississippi Delta. Work Song illustrates a chain gang singing their way through days of hard labor. Spiritual is a more somber movement, meant to convey the pain felt by African Americans living in slavery. The final movement, Dance is the liveliest of the three movements and paints a portrait of friends coming together to celebrate one another in spite of their daily hardships.

(From: https://www.grothmusic.com/p-126007-from-the-delta-concert-band.aspx

La Mezquita De Cordoba – Julie Giroux

La Mezquita de Cordoba opens with the destruction of the original Christian church in 716 A.D. and proceeds as a musical celebration of La Mezquita and its multi-cultural, religious and artistic accomplishments.”

(From: https://concordband.blogspot.com/2020/03/la-mezquita-de-cordoba.html)

Manhattan Beach – John Phillip Souza

Manhattan Beach is a community in lower Brooklyn, New York City, at the eastern end of the peninsula that once was the island called Coney Island. (California also has a town called Manhattan Beach, near Los Angeles. But it is unrelated to the story of Sousa’s march.)

Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, in 1879 Click to enlarge (4566×1655, 2.8 MB)

In the 1890’s, the area was a popular upper middle class summer resort. The resort had been developed in 1877 by Long Island Railroad magnate Austin Corbin (1827-1896).

Beginning in summer, 1893, one of the main attractions at Manhattan Beach was a series of concerts by John Philip Sousa’s band. In that year, Sousa wrote “Manhattan Beach March” as a theme song for his summer concerts.

(From: https://www.daisyfield.com/music/htm/Sousa/mbeach.htm)

Mannin Veen – Haydn Wood

Originally published in 1933, this outstanding tone poem, based on four folk songs from the Isle of Man, is an outstanding addition to any band library. Beginning with a plaintive melody in the Dorian mode, then going into a “fiddle tune,” a very lyrical melody and then a hymn, this is a superbly written work that is most worthy of performance.

Opening Night On Broadway – Arranged by Michael Brown

A new generation of musicals is hitting the Great White Way, and is resulting in a renewed vitality in the music written for the stage. Here is a dynamic collection of future classics in a sparkling and entertaining medley. Includes: Springtime for Hitler (“The Producers”); The “Avenue Q” Theme; Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (“Spamalot”); For Good (“Wicked”) and Circle of Life (“The Lion King”).

(From: https://www.penders.com/p-18479-opening-night-on-broadway.aspx)

Festival of Bands
2024-06-08 12:00 - 13:00
MCB is making a return to the Boston Festival of Bands in 2024

Spring into Summer 2024
2024-06-23 15:00 - 17:00 | Galvin Middle School, Wakefield, MA
Join us for a very special concert entitled “Songs of the Heart”

Date: Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 3:00pm

Galvin Middle School 525 Main Street Wakefield MA

Our program includes:

Overture for Winds – Charles CarterOverture for Winds was given its title by the publishers. This three-part overture has remained Carter’s most popular composition for band. The opening section has a theme which is robust and rhythmic in character. The second theme, slightly slower and expressive, is a free form based on the original idea. The last section is a repetition of the opening thematic ideas, building to a final climax.

From Program Notes for Bandhttps://www.windrep.org/Overture_for_Winds_(Carter)

Original Suite – Gordon JacobThis compelling classic comprises three contrasting movements. The first movement is a stately march, followed by the andante second movement, with the third movement providing a sprightly, upbeat finale.From: https://www.jwpepper.com/Original-Suite/10034295.item

Heart Songs – David MaslankaThe title Heart Songs comes from the image of watering the tree of life with the blood of the heart. It is my hope with this music to provide a substantial and deeply-felt piece for young players. The second and third songs are based on melodies from the 371 Chorales by J.S. Bach.

This work was commissioned by the Harwood Junior High School Band of Bedford, Texas, conducted by Joe Green. It was premiered in April of 1998 by the Harwood High School Symphonic Band, conducted by Christopher Ferrell.From: https://www.windrep.org/Heart_Songs

The Town Band – Erika SvanoeThe Town Band celebrates the spirit of the many community bands that exist across the United States. I have played in various community bands throughout my life, always appreciating that wherever I go there is usually a community of volunteer musicians that are playing for the joy of it and will welcome another into their ranks. Often there are specific pieces or styles of music played in these bands. These pieces tend to lend themselves well to outdoor summer concerts at the pavilion in the town square, or the band shell at the local park. This piece tries to capture some of these typical sounds and musical tropes, as well as highlight each section of the town band, giving each instrument family a moment to shine.From: https://www.erikasvanoe.com/the-town-band.html

Hounds of Spring – Alfred ReedThe Hounds of Spring is a concert overture for concert band, written by the American composer, Alfred Reed in 1980.

Reed was inspired by the poem Atalanta in Calydon, by Victorian era English poet, Algernon Charles Swinburne, a recreation in modern English verse of an ancient Greek tragedy. According to Reed himself, the poem’s magical picture of young love in springtime, forms the basis for his musical setting in traditional three-part overture form. It was Reed’s desire to capture the dual elements of the poem – high-spirited youthful jauntiness and the innocence of tender love.

The Hounds of Spring was commissioned by, and dedicated to, the John L. Forster Secondary School Concert Band of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and its director, Gerald Brown.[4] The world premiere was in Windsor on May 8, 1980, conducted by the composer, and has remained a staple of the wind band literature since.From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hounds_of_Spring

American Triptych – Jim CurnowAn All American collection of songs – from “The Lovely Ohio” to “He’s Gone Away” to “Old Dan Tucker”. Written by James Curnow whos mini biography is listed below:James Curnow (born 17 April 1943) is a composer of music for concert bands, brass bands, vocal and instrumental solos and ensembles. Curnow has also written arrangements of music pieces such as Trumpet Voluntary. He has taught at both public schools and on college and university levels.From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Curnow

Summertime – George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira GershwinSummertime is an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, and Ira Gershwin.From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summertime_(George_Gershwin_song)

John Williams in Concert – Paul Lavender

From movies to television to important national events, the thrilling music of John Williams continues to inspire audiences everywhere, Here are some of his musical contributions, spotlighted in an impressive medley. Included are: Theme From E.T., The Mission (NBC News), Star Wars, Imperial March, Cantina Band, Olympic Spirit, and Theme From Jaws.From: https://www.musicroom.com/john-williams-john-williams-in-concert-arr-paul-hl25923026

4th of July
2024-07-04 19:00 - 20:30
Join us at Mt Hood in Melrose for our annual 4th of July concert.

Children's Concert - The Colors of Music
2024-10-05 14:00 - 15:30
Join us at the Americal Civic Center in Wakefield for our fall Children’s Concert. This year’s program is called The Colors of Music. And, as always, there will be a drawing for one child to conduct Stars & Stripes Forever. There will also be an instrument petting zoo, giving children the opportunity to learn about the different instruments of the band.

Program Music (in Alphabetical Order)

Amparito Roca – Jaime Texidor

Amparito Roca is the name of a piece of music composed in 1925 by Spanish musician and composer Jaime Teixidor (1884–1957) who named it after one of his piano students, then 12-year-old Amparito Roca (1912–1993).

It was first performed in September 1925 in the theater El Siglo in the town of Carlet where the composer lived at the time. It is a pasodoble and one of the better known pieces of Spanish music around the world (source)

Blue Tango – Leroy Anderson

Blue Tango is an instrumental composition by Leroy Anderson, written for orchestra in 1951 and published in 1952. It was later turned into a popular song with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. Numerous artists have since covered Blue Tango.

– Program Note from Wikipedia

Cajun Folk Songs – Frank Ticheli

This colorful work in the rich Cajun folksong tradition is treated with authenticity and sensitivity in this two-movement work, which employs varied instrumental textures, exciting percussion parts and fascinating contrapuntal writing. The folk songs highlighted are La Belle Et Le Capitaine and Belle. (source)

Clowns – Philip Parker

As the title suggests, this is a piece in the style of a gallop that depicts the frantic pace of clowns running around performing their zany antics at the circus. While the piece uses a vague tonal center in B-flat, the freely tonal melodies and harmonies are as unpredictable as the clowns themselves. (source)

Down a Country Lane – Aaron Copland

Copland enjoyed the challenge of composing for young performers. Life Magazine commissioned a piano piece and featured it in a 1962 issue of the magazine with photographs and a homespun article that explained, “Copland’s Down a Country Lane fills a musical gap: It is among the few modern pieces specially written for young piano students by a major composer.” Copland was quoted: “Even third-year students will have to practice before trying it in public.” (source)

Florentiner March – Julius Fucik Op 214

The Florentiner March, Grande marcia Italiana, was written in 1907 by the prolific Bohemian (Czech) composer and bandmaster Julius Fučik, in Budapest, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This seemingly incongruous set of particulars can be explained by the musical trends of the time – many European composers were writing in styles that implied the exoticism of other lands, including Russia, Spain, and in this case, Italy. The Florentiner bears the subtitle Grande marcia Italiana, with the main title giving homage to Florence, Italy; Fučik’s original title for the march was, in fact, “La Rosa di Toscana.” (source)

Highlights from FROZEN – Arranged by Sean O’Loughlin

Hailed as one of Disney’s best animated films ever, Frozen is quickly establishing itself as a classic with a heartwarming story, stunning visuals and magnificent songs. This impressive concert medley features Vuelie, Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, For the First Time in Forever, and Let It Go. (source)

Meet the Band – Sandy Feldstein & Larry Clark

Meet the Band is a musical journey through the instruments of the band with narrator “Sam the Snare Drum.” “Sam” introduces potential instrumentalists to the unique sounds of flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, trombones, the percussion section and everything in between. The grand finale gives the whole band a chance to shine in this excellent recruitment tool. (source)

Polly Oliver – Thomas R. Root

Sweet Polly Oliver is an English broadside ballad (Roud #367), traceable from 1840 or earlier. It is also known as “Pretty Polly Oliver” and has several variant sets of lyrics, set to a single anonymous melody. It is one of the best known of a number of folk songs describing women disguising themselves as men to join the army to be with their lovers.

Thomas Root wrote a symphonic band arrangement and Benjamin Britten wrote an arrangement for voice and piano. (source)

A String Of Pearls – Jerry Gray

One of the classic swing tunes from the Big Band era, John Wasson brings the sound of the Glenn Miller Orchestra to the concert stage with this powerful and swingin’ arrangement. (source)

The Wrong Note Rag – Leonard Bernstein

This instrumental version of Wrong Note Rag, arranged for wind band by Ted Ricketts, is from the 1953 Broadway musical Wonderful Town with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Leonard Bernstein. The musical, set in 1935, tells the story of two sisters from Ohio, Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, who come to New York City aspiring to become a writer and an actress, respectively. Wrong Note Rag is a production number sung by Ruth and Eileen and is the climax of the musical.

To achieve the whimsical and quirky mood that is Wrong Note Rag, Bernstein uses the syncopated or “ragged” rhythms of ragtime music, a genre of American music popular in the early 1900s. Bernstein not only captures the essence of that style but embellishes it with even more complex rhythmic entanglements. To further create the desired mood, Bernstein incorporates dissonance in the form of a “wrong” note which creates great comic effect when Eileen and Ruth sing the song at a jazz nightclub in the musical’s rollicking finale. (source)

Holiday Concert
2024-12-15 15:00 - 17:00 | Galvin Middle School, 525 Main Street, Wakefield
Join the Middlesex Concert Band for our annual Holiday Concert, a cherished tradition that brings the community together to celebrate the season. We will be performing at the Galvin Middleschool Auditorium on Sunday, December 15 at 3:00pm. This year, we’re excited to feature vocalist April Foley, who will join us in performing a selection of holiday classics from the 50s and audience favorites.

Be sure to stop by our cookie sale for a variety of sweet treats to enjoy or take home. Whether you’re a long-time attendee or joining us for the first time, this concert is a great way to share the holiday spirit with family and friends.

Time:December 15th, 3:00 PM

Location:Veteran’s Memorial AuditoriumGalvin Middle School525 Main StWakefield, MA 01880

Music to be Performed: (listed in concert order)

Christmas Exhilaration – Sean O’Loughlin

Soaring bell tones and crisp 6/8 rhythms create festive fanfares that are wrapped around fragments of classic holiday tunes. An uplifting addition to your seasonal repertoire! (source)

Jesu, Joy of Mans Desiring – J. S. Bach arr Leidzen

Erik Leidzen first transcribed this famous chorale prelude for the famed Goldman Band of New York City. Carl Fischer, Inc., published this pace-setting arrangement for wind band within months of its 1936 premiere in Central Park. It has long been hailed as a model of elegant, economical wind band scoring in which the arranger masterfully handles the many colors of the modern concert band. Leidzen completed the brass band version in the early 1950’s as part of a larger series of Bach transcriptions written either for the New York Staff Band or for the Star Lake Band at Star Lake Musicamp. (source)

Christmas Music for Winds – adapted and arranged by John Cacavas

With a touch of fanfare, followed by substantial thematic material, this uplifting new work by composer John Cacavas is a multi-use program choice, whether as an opener, to follow a quiet work, or the vehicle to bring your concert to a dynamic close. The piece sounds much more difficult than it plays. Guaranteed high audience impact! (source)

Believe from the Polar Express – Alan Silvestry and Glen Ballard/arr. Mark Hayes – Soloist April Foley

This fantastic arrangement takes this ballad from “The Polar Express” to a new level! Originally recorded by Josh Groban, the song has become a standard in the holiday repertoire. “Children sleeping, snow is softly falling. Dreams are calling, like bells in the distance…” (source)

Three Moods of Hannukah – Arranged by Lennie Niehaus

Bringing together a melodic mix of Hanukkah tunes, Lennie Niehaus skillfully arranged Hanukkah, O Hanukkah, Maoz Tzur and Mi Y’Malel to create his piece Three Moods of Hanukkah. With its upbeat and melodic lines, this piece truly depicts the spirit and meaning of the Festival of Lights and the holiday season. We hope you enjoy this fun and delightful mix of holiday tunes! (source)

Mary’s Boy Child – Jester Hairston, arr. Philip Sparke

Mary’s Boy Child is a 1956 Christmas song, written by Jester Hairston. It is widely performed as a Christmas carol. Walter Schumann, at the time conducting Schumann’s Hollywood Choir, asked Hairston to write a new Christmas song for his choir. Hairston remembered the calypso rhythm from his 1956 birthday song He Pone and Chocolate Tea, and he wrote new lyrics for it.

Harry Belafonte heard the song being performed by the choir and sought permission to record it. It reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1957, and has since sold over 1.19 million copies there. (source)

Night Before Christmas – Randol Alan Bass/Poem by Clement Clarke Moore – April Foley, narrator

This setting of the famous Christmas poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (attributed to Clement Clarke Moore but, in actuality, probably written by an Englishman, Major Henry Livingston, Jr.) was commissioned by the Cleveland Orchestra. The first performance of the work took place in that city during the Orchestra’s Holiday concerts in 1988, under the baton of Robert Page.

The piece is cinematically conceived, and each poetic image of the narration is imaginatively colored in such a way that audiences can clearly visualize the happenings from passage to passage. Some rehearsal is required to properly align a live performance of the narration, in such a way that the orchestral framing is synchronized moment-by-moment with the text of the poem.( dur: 7” ) (source)

A Contemporary Christmas – arr. Les Taylor

Les Taylor (b. 1944, Logansport, Ind.) is an American composer, arranger and publisher.

This arrangement includes Wonderful Christmas, Feliz Navidad, This One’s for the Children, and Jingle Bell Rock. Mr. Taylor received his formal training at Ball State University and has remained active as a teacher, clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor for over 30 years. His arrangements and compositions have been premiered at the Music Educators National Conference, College Band Director’s National Association, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and on the Christmas and Easter Walt Disney World TV specials. (source)

Minor Alterations (Christmas through the Looking Glass) – David Lovrien

Looking for something REALLY different for this year’s Christmas concert? Here’s a game of holiday hide-and-seek for your audience! Minor Alterations: Christmas Through the Looking Glass is a medley of favorite Christmas tunes, transposed from major to minor keys then disguised, layered and morphed even more. From the ominous Deck the Halls at the start to the final, frenzied Nutcracker Suite finale, each tune is lovingly twisted into something new and inventive. (source)

Christmas from the 50’s – arr. Douglas Wagner

Four holiday pop standards from the 1950s are featured in this fun-filled and entertaining holiday medley. Featured tunes are: Jingle Bell Rock; Frosty the Snowman; The Christmas Waltz and (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays. Take a stroll down memory lane with this glistening seasonal feature! (source)

Christmas Sing-Along – David Lovrien

Arranged by David Lovrien for the Dallas Wind Symphony’s annual Christmas concerts, this audience sing-along medley features the carols Angels We Have Heard on High, Away In A Manger, I Saw Three Ships and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. These well-known but less-often heard carols make this a perfect complement to traditional favorites such as Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival. (source)

Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson

“Sleigh Ride” is a light orchestra standard composed by Leroy Anderson. He formed the idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946, and finished it in February 1948. Its first performance was by the Boston Pops Orchestra, with Arthur Fiedler conducting, on May 4, 1948.[1]

The original recordings were instrumental versions: it was first recorded in 1949 by Fiedler and the Boston Pops.[2] As a 45 rpm version issued on red vinyl, “Sleigh Ride” was a hit record on RCA Victor Red Seal, and has become one of the orchestra’s most well-known works. The Pops have recorded the piece numerous times, with Fiedler as well as John Williams, their conductor from 1979 to 1995, and Keith Lockhart, their current conductor.

The lyrics, about riding in a sleigh and other wintertime activities, were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950.[3] Anderson also made arrangements for wind band and piano.[4][5]

The Ronettes recorded a cover of “Sleigh Ride” in 1963 for Phil Spector‘s A Christmas Gift for You, which was commercially successful in the United States and featured in various media. The song has since been associated with the Christmas and holiday season. (source)

Spring Concert
2025-03-23 15:00 - 16:30 | Galvin Middle School, 525 Main Street, Wakefield
Join us for a milestone event as the Middlesex Concert Band marks its 50th Anniversary with a special concert celebrating five decades of music and community. The evening will feature the premiere of a brand-new composition by composer Erika Svanoe, written specifically to commemorate this occasion.

This once-in-a-lifetime performance will also include other special surprises, making it a memorable night for our audience and musicians alike. Be part of this historic celebration and share in the joy, pride, and legacy of the Middlesex Concert Band. We can’t wait to see you there!

Time:March 23rd, 3:00 PM

Location:Veteran’s Memorial AuditoriumGalvin Middle School525 Main StWakefield, MA 01880

Program (draft)

Strike Up the Band – George Gershwin

The story of Strike Up the Band centers on Horace J, Fletcher, “A Typical Self-Made American” and a chocolate manufacturer, who dreams he has convinced the U.S. Government to put a tariff on Swiss chocolate. In the dream, this draws Switzerland into a war. Immediately, American libraries remove seditious literature like Swiss Family Robinson from their shelves. The United States finally wins by “decoding” yodels as secret signals of the Swiss Army. Source:

First Suite in Eb – Gustav Holst

2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the First Suite in E-flat by Gustav Holst, now considered one of the masterworks and cornerstones of the band literature. Although completed in 1909, the suite didn’t receive its official premiere until 11 years later on June 23rd, 1920, by an ensemble of 165 musicians at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall.

There are three movements in the suite: Chaconne, Intermezzo, and March. Holst writes, “As each movement is founded on the same phrase, it is requested that the suite be played right through without a break.” Indeed, the first three notes of the Chaconne are Eb, F and C, and the first three notes of the melody when it first appears in the Intermezzo are Eb, F, and C. In the third movement, March, Holst inverts the motive: The first note heard in the brilliant opening brass medley is an Eb, but instead of rising, it descends to a D, and then a G; the exact opposite of the first two movements. Source:

Irish Tune from County Derry – Percy Grainger

Irish Tune from County Derry is a setting of a now-famous tune from the Irish county of Derry in the north (also sometimes called Londonderry). This classic arrangement features beautiful, delicate part-writing for both woodwinds and brass, highlighting each family in turn. Source:

Determined Hearts – World Premiere – Erika Svanoe

Determined Hearts was composed for the Middlesex Concert Band for their 50th Anniversary.

The piece was inspired by the history of the Middlesex Concert Band, specifically when the organization came back from losing music and equipment in a fire several years ago, but through perseverance of its membership kept the ensemble alive. Source:

Blue Moon (April Foley, vocalist) – Rodgers and Hart/Barker

Rodgers and Hart’s “Blue Moon” was originally written as “Prayer” for Jean Harlow in the MGM film, The Hollywood Revue of 1933. According to Richard Rodgers in his autobiography, Musical Stages: An Autobiography, Harlow’s prayer was to become a movie star, and the lyrics started out as “Oh, Lord, if you’re not busy up there, I ask for help with a prayer/ So Please don’t give me the air…” Unfortunately, because of a series of production personnel changes, the revue was scaled down to a spoof starring Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, and Jimmy Durante. There was no Harlow and no “Prayer.” Source:

Symphonic Dance No. 1 – Carol Britten Chambers

Carol Brittin Chambers’ high-wire work Symphonic Dance No. 1 is a thrilling addition to any band’s repertoire. With its rhythmic intrigue and cool harmonic development, this piece showcases the composer’s signature style in a challenging yet rewarding way. Despite its suave exterior, the piece is full of hidden treasures that will captivate both performers and audiences alike. Source:

Fanfare and Allegro – Clifton Williams

Fanfare and Allegro was the first composition to win the Ostwald Award for original band literature. The award was presented at the American Bandmasters Association convention in 1956. It is written in an exciting contemporary style with brilliant scoring. The work opens with a declamatory fanfare section which leads directly to the allegro movement. It features ostinato figures, brilliant brass, and percussion. Although rhythmically complex, the music is impressive and straightforward, and its resonance and sonority are ideally suited to the medium of the modern band. Source:

Amazing Grace – Frank Ticheli

The spiritual, Amazing Grace, was written by John Newton (1725-1807), a slave ship captain who, after years of transporting slaves across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, suddenly saw through divine grace the evilness of his acts. First published in 1835 by William Walker in The Southern Harmony, Amazing Grace has since grown to become one of the most beloved of all American spirituals.

Amazing Grace was commissioned by John Whitwell in loving memory of his father, John Harvey Whitwell. It was first performed on February 10, 1994, by the Michigan State University Wind Symphony, John Whitwell conductor. Source:

Free Lance March – John Philip Sousa

“The Free Lance” march, taken from Sousa’s operetta of the same name, has a lengthy and unorthodox construction when compared with most other Sousa marches. There were so many spirited march tunes in the operetta that perhaps Sousa felt obligated to include most of them when piecing together the march. Actually, there were enough for two separate marches.

The “free lance” of the operetta was Sigmund Lump, a clever goatherd who hired himself out as a mercenary leader to two opposing armies, maneuvered his forces so that neither side could win, and then declared himself emperor of both nations.

The trio of the march corresponds to the song “On to Victory” in the operetta, and some editions of the march were published under that title. Source:

Star Dust (vocal solo) – Carmichael/arr. Barker

“Stardust” is a 1927 song composed by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics later added by Mitchell Parish….When composing the song, he was inspired by the end of one of his love affairs, and on the suggestion of a university classmate, he decided on its title. The same year, Carmichael recorded an instrumental version of the song for Gennett Records. Source:

Themes Like Old Times – arr. Warren Barker

Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Peg 0′ My Heart, I Want A Girl (Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad), By The Light Of The Silvery Moon and 12th Street Rag are all cleverly combined in this crowd-pleaser by today’s premier arranger for concert band! Source:

Selections from Wicked – Schwartz/ arr. Bocook

In 2004 Broadway was taken by storm by the hit show “Wicked.” The story line of how the Wicked Witch of the West met Glinda the Witch of the North is intriguing, and the music is filled with depth and beauty. This powerful medley includes: No One Mourns the Wicked; Dancing Through Life; Defying Gravity; No Good Deed and For Good. Source:

Star Wars, The Marches – Williams/ arr. Brubaker

John Williams created so many stunning marches to accompany the Star Wars® motion pictures that they had to be combined in one powerful piece. The arrangement features: Star Wars® (Main Title), “Parade of the Ewoks,” “The Imperial March,” “Augie’s Great Municipal Band” and “The Throne Room.” A bold medley of a wide variety of marches to ensure a standing ovation! Source:

Boston Festival of Bands
2025-06-14 12:00 | Faneuil Hall, Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA, 02109, United States
🎵 Boston Festival of Bands Returns to Faneuil Hall! 🎶The Middlesex Concert Band is thrilled to announce our participation in the Boston Festival of Bands, hosted at the historic Faneuil Hall in Boston. After last year’s cancellation, we’re excited to be part of this cherished event once again now that the Hall has reopened.

Organized by MetWinds, the festival brings together several outstanding concert bands for a full day of live music in a unique and vibrant setting. Join us as we share the stage with other talented ensembles to celebrate the power of community and the joy of music. Don’t miss this special event!

June Concert - "American Salute"
2025-06-22 15:00
Join us for a very special concert entitled “American Salute”

Date: Sunday, June 22, 2025 at 3:00pm

Galvin Middle School 525 Main Street Wakefield MA

Our program includes:

Celebration Overture – Paul Creston

Celebration Overture is a work meant to reflect a celebration of life and all of the wonderful and positive events we are fortunate enough to experience. (Source)

Old Home Days – Charles Ives arr Jonathan Elkus

The songs and sketches assembled in this suite reflect Ives’s lifelong love of familiar tunes and home grown music making. (Source)

The King of Love My Shephard Is – arr. by Jess Langsten Turner

The King of Love My Shepherd Is is an 1868 hymn with lyrics written by Henry Williams Baker, based on the Welsh version of Psalm 23 and the work of Edmund Prys. (Source)

Blue Shades – Frank Ticheli

This composition reflects Frank Ticheli’s love for the traditional jazz music that he heard so often while growing up near new Orleans. Blue Shades was his opportunity to express his own musical style in this medium. (Source)

American Salute – Morton Gould, edt. Lang

This is a tribute to all things American, based on When Johnny Comes Marching Home. Morton Gould develops and embellishes the folk melody with splendor and verve, and Philip Lang’s transcription is a challenge well worth the effort! (Source)

Main Street Celebration – Steven Reineke

Brimming with catchy melody, sprightly imitation and colorful orchestration, this really captures the feeling of a street celebration! On the easy side of medium, it is simply delightful! (Source)

Themes Like Old Times – arr. Warren Barker

ere’s a clever arrangement that is perfect for community bands and concerts in the park! Songs included are: Alexander’s Ragtime Band; Peg O’ My Heart; I Want A Girl (Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad); By The Light Of The Silvery Moon and Twelfth Street Rag. Sparkling! (Source)

Ashokan Farewell – Jay Unger arr. Calvin Custer

“Ashokan Farewell” is a musical piece composed by the American folk musician Jay Ungar in 1982. For many years, it served as a goodnight or farewell waltz at the annual Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camps, run by Ungar and his wife Molly Mason, who named the tune after the Ashokan Field Campus (now the Ashokan Center) of SUNY New Paltz in Upstate New York. (Source)

Tribute to the Count – arr. Sammy Nestico

During Nestico’s eight-decade career, he produced a large number of arrangements for jazz and big band ensembles. Many of these arrangements were written for groups like the Count Basie Orchestra (CBO), with whom Nestico had a long working relationship from the late 1960s until Basie’s death in 1984. This arrangement includes April in Paris, Lil Darlin, Shiny Stockings and One O’Clock Jump. (Source)

Star Wars, The Marches – John Williams, arr. Brubaker

So many stunning marches were part of these epic motion pictures that they had to be combined in one powerful piece. This arrangement features: Star Wars (Main Theme); Parade of the Ewoks; The Imperial March; Augie’s Great Municipal Band and The Throne Room. A bold medley of a wide variety of marches that will ensure a standing ovation! (Source)

4th of July
2025-07-04 19:00
Our annual 4th of July event at Mt. Hood in Melrose. Enjoy music on the beautiful grounds of Mt. Hood Golf Course before the fireworks start.

Concert by the Lake
2025-07-17 19:00
MCB will be performing by the lake on Wakefield common just before their Movie by the Lake event, showing Inside Out 2 starting around 8:30 PM. There will likely be food trucks, sports such as volleyball, and other fun activities in addition to the movie. See more details here: https://patch.com/massachusetts/wakefield/calendar/event/20250717/dd33a5ed-2a76-4713-bd60-35e48bd93279/movies-by-the-lake-inside-out-2

The MCB Concert begins at 7:00 PM

The program includes:

Strike Up the Band – George Gershwin, arr. Warren Barker

Old Home Days – Charles Ives

Waltz

The Opera House

The Collection

Slow March

London Bridge

Amazing Grace – Frank Ticheli

Star Spangled Spectacular – John Cacavas

Themes Like Old Times – Warren Barker

Tribute to the Count – Arr. Sammy Nestico

Selections From Wicked – arr. Jay Bocook

America the Beautiful – Samuel Ward (arr. Carmen Dragon)

Stars and Stripes Forever – John Philip Sousa

Children's Concert - The ABCs of Music
2025-10-05 14:00 - 15:30 | Galvin Middle School Auditorim, Wakefield, MA
MCB’s annual Children’s Concert

Join us at the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield for our fall Children’s Concert. This year’s program is called The ABCs of Music. And, as always, there will be a drawing for one child to conduct Stars & Stripes Forever. There will also be an instrument petting zoo, giving children the opportunity to learn about the different instruments of the band.

The program includes:

Fanfare Esprit – Carol Britten Chambers

Looking for a thrilling and spirited musical experience? Look no further than Fanfare Esprit by Carol Brittin Chambers! This piece will transport you to a world of classic fanfares with a twist, featuring lush melodies and intricate rhythms. Don’t miss out on this exhilarating musical journey! (Source)

Stars and Stripes Forever – John Philip Sousa “The Stars and Stripes Forever” was declared the National March of the United States in

1987. (Source)

Poet and Peasant Overture – Franz von Suppe, arr. Meyrelle

The storyline of Poet and Peasant deals with the lack of understanding of a guardian for his young pupil. Though he is a peasant, the young pupil is also an excellent poet who goes on to beat a famous poet from the city in a literary duel. This makes his prestige even bigger. Finally all ends well thanks to the older peasant. Part of the international success of this work is largely due to the many wind band arrangements. (Source)

Drummers Delight – Henry Mancini, arr. Longfield

Wonderful march-like melodies are interspersed with feature spots for the drums. (Source)

Red Balloon – Ann McGinty

Inspired by a painting the composer once saw of an old man with a small child holding a red balloon, this descriptive piece is both evocative and moving. The music depicts the balloon floating in air. (Source)

The Great Locomotive Chase – Robert W. Smith

Inspired by the events surrounding the railway between Atlanta and Chattanooga during the early years of the Civil War, Robert W. Smith stages the train chase complete with fascinating textures and effects. Listeners become engulfed in the vivid sounds. You can almost smell the smoke. This is an exciting original concert opener or closer. All aboard! (Source)

Elephant Tango – Bernie Landes

‘Elephants Tango’ is a composition by Bernard Landes (real name Ronald Hanmer), played by Cyril Stapleton and his Orchestra. It’s original release, in January 1955, was on a Decca 10 inch 78 rpm shellac with the catalogue number F.10488. It shares the disc with ‘Gabrielle’ composed by Hayward Morris. This recording is from a 2003 Vocalion compact disc titled ‘Decca Singles’, featuring 30 of the Decca’s single releases by the Cyril Stapleton orchestra of the 1950s. (CDLK-4154). (Source)

Belle of the Ball – Leroy Anderson

Like most of Leroy Anderson’s efforts, “Belle of the Ball” is light, effervescent, and devoid of conflict or disharmony. Anderson looked upon the piece as a modern-day American revival — or revitalization — of the Viennese waltz tradition. (Source)

Big Band Spectacular – arr. John Higgins

John Higgins brings the Big Band Era to life in this imaginative medley that features some of the best-known trademarks of the top Big Bands. Your audiences will be tapping their feet along with these nostalgic favorites including Glenn Miller’s In The Mood, Duke Ellington’s Satin Doll, Harry James’ Ciribiribin, Bob Crosby’s Big Noise From Winnetka and Count Basie’s Jumpin’ At The Woodside. Don’t miss it! (Source)

Music from the Incredibles – Michael Giacchino, arr. Jay Bocook

Here is the 2004 animated phenomenon from the innovative creators at Pixar Studios! Follow the far-fetched story of an “incredible” family of crime fighters along with their flashy music written in the campy style of a mid-1960s spy thriller. Sassy and bold, this music is a guaranteed showstopper for any concert! (Source)

Click here to see the digital program!

Holiday Concert
2025-12-14 15:00 - 16:30 | Galvin Middle School, Wakefiled, MA
Celebrate the season with the Middlesex Concert Band at our annual Holiday Concert! This festive afternoon of music will feature cherished holiday favorites alongside fresh takes on seasonal classics, all sure to bring joy and holiday spirit.

This year’s performance is presented free of charge, thanks to the generous support of an anonymous sponsor. Bring your family and friends and enjoy an afternoon of music that will warm your heart and brighten your holidays.

So take a break from the holiday bustle, relax, and let the music of the season surround you. We look forward to sharing this joyful tradition with you!

Program Details:

A Winter Journey – Randall Standridge

This piece is a joyful, rhythmic celebration of winter travel and the people waiting at the other end of the road. Using the familiar melody of Over the River and Through the Wood as its foundation. I’ve combined it with original material to create a fast-paced ride in a compound 12/8 meter — perfect for evoking the galop of hooves, the jingle of bells, and the crisp energy of a snowy day (Source)

A Christmas Intrada – Alfred Reed

A Christmas Intrada represents an attempt to portray, in musical terms alone, five contrasting moods associated with the festivities of the Christmas season. These five sections are played without pause. They are: Fanfare: Christus Natus Est, for brass, chimes, bells and percussion only; Lullaby for the Christ Child played by the woodwind and saxophones; Processional of the Kings and Shepherds played by the full group; Carol for the Holy Night for woodwinds, saxophones and muted brass; and, finally, Wassail and Alleluia beginning with the bells and chimes alone, and gradually growing to include not only the full group but also antiphonal brass choirs, to bring the entire work to a joyous and triumphant conclusion. (Source)

March of the Toys – Victor Herbert

This march is part of the operetta Babes in Toyland, composed by Victor Herbert in 1903. Toyland is a magical land where two children experience all sorts of adventures. This quick march in a pseudo military style depicts a scene in the operetta where toy soldiers rescue the two children. Victor Hugo (1859-1924) was born in Ireland, but spent his youth in Germany where he studied composition and cello. He found fame in America as an (operetta) composer and conductor. (Source)

Grown Up Christmas List – Michael Brown — April Foley vocal soloist

hough originally recorded by David Foster with Natalie Cole, the 1992 version by Amy Grant is largely responsible for this song’s continued popularity. This inspiring ballad will add a special lift to any holiday concert, and Michael’s great-sounding arrangement can be performed effectively with or without a vocal soloist. (Source)

Minor Alterations No. 2 – David Louvrien

Looking for something REALLY different for this year’s Christmas concert? Here’s a game of holiday hide-and-seek for your audience! Minor Alterations: Christmas Through the Looking Glass is a medley of favorite Christmas tunes, transposed from major to minor keys then disguised, layered and morphed even more. From the ominous Deck the Halls at the start to the final, frenzied Nutcracker Suite finale, each tune is lovingly twisted into something new and inventive. (Source)

Snow on Snow – Megan Vinther

Capturing the quiet beauty of winter, this lyrical and introspective work blends haunting original melodies with Gustav Holst’s beloved In the Bleak Midwinter. Delicate textures and rich harmonic progressions evoke the peaceful stillness of snowfall, inviting performers and audience to pause and reflect. Serene and expressive, this piece is a perfect addition to winter or festival concerts, offering a moment of calm amid the season’s bustle. (Source)

Christmas With Mozart – Julie Giroux

An absolute delight to add a fresh lift to a holiday concert. Familiar holiday melodies are cleverly interwoven with some of Mozart’s motifs in an up-tempo Mozartean setting.

This arrangement is in a Mozart-ish style using a number of Christmas carols in combination with a few of Mozart’s, Bach’s and other composers’ works. Fast, fun and full of tunes –see if you can find them all! (Source)

Fanfare for the Festival of Lights – Evan Vandoren

“Fanfare for the Festival of Lights” weaves two traditional Hanukkah melodies, Ma’oz Tzur and The Dreidel Song into a colorful, rousing celebration! Evan VanDoren has masterfully crafted an approachable, mature-sounding composition that will challenge your best performers while meeting the needs of your developing players. Get your next holiday concert started with energy and excitement! (Source)

The Eight Candle – Steve ReisteterThe Eighth Candle remembers the story of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. It begins with an extended hymn-like section followed by an exciting dance of celebration. The feast commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian-Greek tyrant Antiochus over 2,180 years ago. Legend has it that after the battles were won there was only enough oil for the ceremonial lights to last for one day, yet by some miracle the oil lasted for eight days. Hanukkah is celebrated by the family in the home rather than in the synagogue. In modern times candles are lit, one for each day of the holiday, prayers are recited, then the feast and merrymaking begin. (Source)

Santa Baby – Philip Springer – April Foley, Vocal Soloist

“Santa Baby” is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer in an attempt to speed up the song’s publishing process. Lyrically, the song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list addressed to Santa Claus by a woman who wants extravagant gifts such as sables, yachts, and decorations from Tiffany, which become increasingly laced with innuendo and the implication that the woman is infatuated with Santa. (Source)

Fireside Christmas – Sammy Nestico

our auditorium will glow with warmth and good will when your band performs this charming medley! Featured in the medley are: Winter Wonderland; I’ll Be Home for Christmas; The Christmas Song; Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Sammy Nestico has wrapped them all up in a sparkling package that will warm everyone’s heart! (Source)

Christmas Carol-oke – arr. Larry Clark – April and the audience sing-a-long

There is nothing more fun around the holidays than singing Christmas carols in a large group. What better way to spruce up your holiday concert than to have your audience participate in the concert with a good old-fashioned sing-along? This arrangement contains eight popular carols: “O Christmas Tree,” “Jingle Bells,” “Deck the Halls,” “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Silent Night,” “Up on the Housetop,” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” (Source)

Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson.

Sleigh Ride is a light orchestra standard whose music was composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had formed the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946, and he finished the work in February 1948. The original recordings were instrumental versions. The lyrics, about riding in a sleigh and other fun wintertime activities, were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950. The orchestral version was first recorded in 1949 by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. A selection of the artists who have recorded it include Herb Alpert, The Andrews Sisters, The Carpenters, Bing Crosby, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, the amazing Debbie Gibson, The Muppets, and Andy Williams. (Source)

March Concert
2026-03-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Galvin Middle School, Wakefield, MA
Shake off the winter chill and welcome the new season with the Middlesex Concert Band at our annual Spring Concert! This lively afternoon of music will feature an exciting mix of pieces that celebrate the energy and renewal of springtime. This year is special – we are celebrating the 250th Birthday of America!

As with our holiday concert, this performance is presented free of charge, thanks to the generous support of an anonymous sponsor. Bring family, friends, and neighbors, and enjoy an afternoon of music that will lift your spirits and brighten your day.

Join us as we continue a tradition of community, music, and joy. We look forward to seeing you there!

Program:

Fanfare 250 – Noah D. Taylor

A dynamic and celebratory work dedicated to the men and women of the United States Army in recognition of their 250 years of steadfast service. The piece captures the spirit of resilience, bravery, and unity that defines the Army’s history with bold brass fanfares, driving percussion, and soaring woodwind lines. A salute to a quarter millennium of dedication, sacrifice, and service to the nation! (Source)

Concord – Clare Grundman

Concord is based on three traditional tunes from old New England, The White Cockade, William Billings’ America, and “Yankee Doodle. (Source)

Chester – William Schuman

Schuman originally composed Chester as the third movement of his New England Triptych for orchestra, where he interpreted William Billings’s hymn and marching song of the same name. He later developed and extended the work to become an overture for band; however, the work is often performed as the answer to Schuman’s second movement prelude of the Triptych, When Jesus Wept. (Source)

Midnight Ride – Rossano Galente

Three main themes comprise Midnight Ride by Rossano Galante. Paul Revere’s motif is a romantic, heroic melody that captures his bravery and tenacity. The Brown Beauty theme (Paul Revere’s horse) incorporates a slower, lush musical offering that captures the strength and beauty of this animal. The ending thematic material represents the ride with a soaring melody accompanied by fast, rhythmic ostinati. (5:45) (Source)

American Elegy – Frank Ticheli

An American Elegy is, above all, an expression of hope. It was composed in memory of those who lost their lives at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and to honor the survivors. It is offered as a tribute to their great strength and courage in the face of a terrible tragedy. I hope the work can also serve as one reminder of how fragile and precious life is and how intimately connected we all are as human beings. (Source)

Chimes of Liberty – Edwin Franko Goldman

One of his most popular marches, The Chimes of Liberty reflected Goldman’s pride in his country. His concern for other countries and world peace was evident as well: the march was written in 1922 to commemorate the Washington Conference for the Limitation of Armaments. The chimes are featured prominently, carrying the melody in the trio. The march also boasts a piccolo solo that rivals the piccolo solo in John Philip Sousa’s march The Stars and Stripes Forever. (Source)

Intermission

Land of Liberty – John Wasson

Featuring classic patriotic melodies of our great nation, here is a stirring medley for mature bands. Unique treatments and scoring devices blended with seamless transitions are used to create this impressive work for the concert stage. Includes: Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean; Chester; Yankee Doodle; America the Beautiful and My Country, ‘Tis of Thee. (Source)

Variations on America – Charles Ives

Variations on “America” was originally a composition for organ. Composed in 1891 when Ives was seventeen, it is an arrangement of a traditional tune, known as My Country, ‘Tis of Thee, and was at the time the de facto anthem of the United States. The tune is also widely recognized in Thomas Arne’s orchestration as the British National Anthem, God Save the Queen, and in the former anthems of Russia, Switzerland, and Germany, as well as being the current national anthem of Liechtenstein and royal anthem of Norway. (Source)

Selections from Les Miserables – Music by Claude-Michel Schonberg/arranged by Warren Decker

This work for musical theater had a renewed impact all over the world with the adaptation to the silver screen. All the drama and power of the original music is captured in this medley, which includes At the End of the Day; I Dreamed a Dream; Master of the House; On My Own and Do You Hear the People Sing? (Source)

Irving Berlin Songs for America – Irving Berlin/arranged by James Swearingen

A fantastic arrangement of songs by one of America’s greatest songwriters. Includes: Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor; This Is the Army Mister Johnes; This Is a Great Country; and God Bless America. (Source)

America the Beautiful – Samuel Augustus Ward/arranged by Carmen DragonStars and Stripes – John Phillip Sousa
