Free Children’s Concert on Sunday, October 1, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chris Kerr September 18, 2017 617-596-5626 press@mcbconcertband.org

Middlesex Concert Band Presents Free Children’s Concert on Sunday, October 1, 2017 in Wakefield. The People of Music—A Musical Celebration for Kids Exploring the People Who Shape the Music We Listen To

Wakefield, MA – 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 1, 2017 at the Americal Civic Center in Wakefield, 2:00–3:00 p.m.

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 People of Music, exploring people who have inspired or composed the most important pieces over the years.

Music Director Mark Olson has put together a thoughtful program that will stir the imagination of listeners of all ages. It opens with George Gershwin’s march, “Strike up the Band,” which he wrote for Broadway, but instead became popularized as a university fight song. Next up will be Malcolm Arnold’s “Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo.” Malcolm’s music provides the backdrop for over 100 films and documentaries. The program continues with Edward Elgar’s “Nimrod,” the best known variation from Elgar’s masterpiece, “The Enigma Variations.”

Grainger’s “Molly on the Shore” and Charles Ive’s “Variations on America” will be recognizable to ears of all ages. The tempo then slows down momentarily for the opening of William Schuman’s rendition of “Chester,” which is a tune that has been popular in America since colonial times. Next, Ted Rickett’s “Satchmo” will bring Louis Armstrong back to life with excerpts from “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “What a Wonderful World,” and other favorites. The concert will close with a collection of playful motifs and warm melodies by Frank Ticheli, a prolific composer who continues to write new favorites today.

The unique setting of this concert, presented in the gymnasium of the Americal Civic Center, puts the children on the same level as the band where they can get a unique, up-close perspective. A large section of the floor is covered with craft paper, with pillows and crayons, where kids can stretch out color while listening to the music. Each child will receive a souvenir coloring book based on the themes of the concert.

Halfway through the program, the children will be invited to participate in a parade of flags, which gives them a chance to burn off a little energy while they march around the gym to the well-known strains of the “Stars and Stripes Forever” march. Continuing a popular tradition, one lucky child from the audience will win the honor of conducting the band during this march.

Children are also invited to stay after the music stops to visit with the musicians as they set up an instrument “petting zoo” around the sides of the gym, where everyone can get a hands-on experience with the instruments of the band.

The Middlesex Concert Band is a nonprofit community band based in Wakefield, Massachusetts that regularly performs concerts in Wakefield and surrounding communities, striving to bring affordable entertainment to all. Originally founded in the 1950s as a marching band, the group later evolved into a concert band which gave its first performance in the spring of 1975 at Memorial Hall in Melrose. Since then, it has become one of the area’s outstanding community musical organizations, performing in various indoor venues from September through June and presenting a number of free outdoor concerts during the summer months.

The People of Music—A Free Children’s Concert, takes place at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 1, 2017 at the Americal Civic Center, 467 Main Street, Wakefield, MA. Funding for this concert is provided in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, as administered locally by the Wakefield Cultural Council. For more information about the Middlesex Concert Band, go to www.mcbconcertband.org.

Middlesex Concert Band
A NONPROFIT 501(c)(3) ORGANIZATION
Federal ID No. 04-3400235
www.MCBconcertband.org
Mark E. Olson MUSIC DIRECTOR director@MCBconcertband.org
John Lock PRESIDENT president@MCBconcertband.org
P. O. Box 128 Wakefield, MA 01880
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