Concert Celebrates 50 Years of British Brass Band Music in Rockville

The Rockville Brass Band celebrates its 50th season with a Golden Jubilee concert for the community on Sunday, October 25 at 3pm. The venue is Christ Episcopal Church, 109 S Washington St., Rockville.  The concert is free to all and no tickets are required.

The concert program will sample standards of the British Brass Band literature and pieces composed or arranged for Brass Band since its founding in 1976. These works range widely in style and appeal to listeners, young and old. Here are a few works from the program:

• Gustav Holst gave  brass bands the prestige of classical orchestras with The First Suite in Eb (1909). The work requires a band to interweave lyrical passages with fanfares, and master rapid, lilting motifs.
• Alexander Borodin created a wild and compelling work – Danses Polovtsiennes (1890) – for his opera, Prince Igor. Borodin died before completing the work. Master composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov completed the piece for its premier.
• Cityscapes, by Stephen Bulla (1985), portrays the city in morningtime, its crowded streets, a visit to the museum, and exuberant nightlife.
• Bluebells of Scotland (1899) is Arthur Pryor’s Scottish tune for virtuoso trombone. The work tests the range, speed, and melodic skill of our soloist, David Lomotey.

The Rockville Brass Band is the oldest continually operating British-style brass band in Maryland, and is among the oldest in the United States. Its members are professional musicians – former and current members of military bands, and professionally trained music instructors – as well as dedicated amateurs. They perform for the public, participate in competitions, and hold a music clinic and concert with students and seniors each year.

The Rockville Brass Band is funded by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Arts and Humanities Council Montgomery County, the City of Rockville, local businesses, band members, and contributing audience members.

Join us on October 25 to celebrate the tradition of British-style Brass Bands that flourishes here in Montgomery County.