The Mercer County Symphonic Band will present its annual winter concert on Wednesday, December 17, at 8 p.m., at Kelsey Theater, at Mercer Community College in West Windsor. Admission is free.
The program includes contemporary band music, galops (country dances), seasonal favorites, and traditional marches. The contemporary selections include “Imperatrix” by Alfred Reed, “River of Life” by Steven Reineke, “Gentle Ballad” by William Rhoads, a medley from “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Weber, and “Serenade” by band percussionist Mark Jurcisin. Three galops to be performed include Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance,” Dmitri Kabalevsky’s “Commedian’s Galop,” and Warren Barker’s “A Galop to End All Galops.”
Seasonal favorites include Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music,” Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival,” and a new seasonal sing along based on Robert Sheldon’s “A Most Wonderful Christmas” and Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.” The marches include Julius Fucik’s “The Florentiner” and the band’s signature signoff, John Phillip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Under the direction of Lou Woodruff, the band is celebrating its 34th season with 60 participating musicians, spanning seven decades in age. Woodruff, who is completing his 14th year as the band’s director, also teaches psychology at Bucks County Community College and serves on the Governing Board of the National College Testing Association. The podium is shared with Gary Suabedissen, who plays flute in the band, and Michael Grothman, who performs on trumpet.
West Windsor and Plainsboro musicians include Dave Halter on trombone, Martin Timins on alto sax, Anthony Travaglione on clarinet, Mike Davis on percussion, John Roeder on tuba, and flute players Jessica Julius, Danielle Guarracino, and Annette Sheldon. WW-P High School alumni include Jim Yeh, Class of 1997, on tuba; and Birgitta Cagan, Class of 1990, on clarinet.
The band is open to all interested musicians without audition. Through focused weekly rehearsals, the members of the band are challenged to improve their individual technique and apply their group performance skills in the re-creation of a wide range of musical compositions. The band performs at Kelsey Theater as well as at community events, holiday celebrations, and other venues open to the public.
Rehearsals are on Monday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., from September through June, in the music suite on the college’s West Windsor campus. Musicians are invited to sit in a rehearsal and continue to participate if they feel a connection with the music and the group. For information about performing with in the band, or to make arrangements for a sponsored band performance, contact Lou Woodruff by E-mail at woodruff@bucks.edu or call 609-947-4040. Visit www.MercerBand.org for more information.
