Editor’s note: The following is a press release from The Gateway Concert Band.
The Gateway Concert Band is starting the holiday season with a free concert: “We Need a Little Christmas” on Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. and again on Dec. 1 at 7:15 p.m. at White River High School Theater.
The concert begins with a lively version of the piece after which the concert is named — We Need a Little Christmas.
The concert includes Christmas music you are likely familiar with including favorites like Frosty the Snow Man, Jingle Bells and The First Noel, as well as Christmas music that is likely to be new to you such as Fantasia on a 13th Century Carol and On a Catalonian Carol.
The concert will feature Christmas from the ‘50s with dual solos by Jessie Sanchez on alto saxophone and Sherman McCormick on trumpet.
The band will also be playing tunes made popular by Mannheim Steamroller and the Carpenters, and holiday music from Broadway shows and the movies White Christmas and Mame. The concert includes a lively and complex version of Dreidel Dance.
The concert also features Winter Dances, a 2001 composition by Brian Balmages that aims to capture a wide range of feelings connected to winter, including both the pleasant and the difficult aspects of the season. A sing-along of classic Christmas tunes concludes our program.
One other exciting feature of the concert is a celebration of our director, Jack Prindle’s 75th birthday.
The performance at the White River High School Theater is ADA accessible with reserved ADA seating and elevator access to the lower level.
Gateway Concert Band is a non-profit charitable organization, and donations are very welcome.
