This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Soloists Featured at the Montgomery County Concert Band Performance

The Montgomery County Concert Band invites you to their annual spring concert on Sunday, May 4 at 3 p.m. at Souderton Area High School.  Directed by Charles H. Neidhardt, former Music Department Chairperson for the Methacton School District, the band will feature a variety of audience- pleasing music, spanning more than two centuries.  Of special note will be the performance of Blue Elegy, composed by Travis J. Weller, in memory of Stephen E. Frederick, former director and one of the founders of the band.  Band members, Ed Neiderheiser and Mike Seifried, are the featured soloists, performing on trumpet and tenor saxophone, respectively.  Legends of Jazz, arranged by Stephen Bulla, complements the jazz portion of the program.

Additional band members are featured as soloists during the concert.  The rousing Charleston Capers will offer the audience a chance to hear xylophonists Joyce Haraway and Cindy Reese, perform.  Frohliche Tenoristen, a German polka, features a euphonium duet with Jan Jochems and Bill Leslie.  When Jesus Wept is one of this country’s oldest hymns.  Written by America’s first choral composer of note, William Billings, this chorale and round features Jan Jochems on euphonium and David O’Neill on trumpet.  The piece will be directed by Michael Langston, a Professional Woodwind Specialist originally from Paducah, Kentucky, and now a flute and piccolo player in the band.  Also on the docket is a Ralph Vaughn Williams favorite, English Folk Song Suite, as well as The Earle of Oxford Marche, Overture for Winds, and the ever popular Footlifter march by Henry Fillmore.

This past March, the Band was honored to have been selected to play at the Association of Concerts Bands Convention in Allentown and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Conference in Hershey.  Since its founding in 1995, the Band has performed over 200 concerts for community parks and retirement communities as well as a formal spring and fall concert each year.  The Band is composed of 70 area musicians who volunteer their time and talent to bring high quality music performance to the community.

Find out what's happening in Perkiomen Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Further information about the band and their summer schedule, as well as directions to Souderton Area High School located at 625 Lower Road, can be found at their website:  www.montcoband.org.  The concert is free and open to the public and the facility is handicap accessible.  Free will donations will be accepted. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?