Community Band concert, "Stars and Stripes"

MANCHESTER, Missouri -- Manchester Arts, a new municipal arts council supported by the City of Manchester, is pleased to announce the 2nd concert of the inaugural season of the Manchester Community Band. This free event will take place on the evening of Sunday, July 7, 2013.  Concert will take place in the amphitheater at Paul A. Schroeder Park, which is located at 359 Old Meramec Station Road. Pack a picnic, bring the family and come enjoy a concert!



Concert

Sunday, July 7th, 6:30pm – Celebrate the USA with a free
concert full of stars and stripes! The many traditions of our true American
holiday will be honored: we bring out the best marches, we recognize our
veterans, and we celebrate with the music of summer festivity! (Rain date:
Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 6:30 pm) Musical highlights include Tchaikovsky’s
“1812 Overture,” Gould’s “American Salute,” and the “Armed Forces on Parade: A
Service Medley.”  The concert will
be hosted by Scott Connell, meteorologist with KSDK’s First Alert Weather Team.
Several food trucks will be offering treats, including “Walk Away Waffles,”
which will be serving Belgian waffles in a variety of flavors.

Band Leadership

The Band is under the leadership of Music Director and Conductor Chris Becker. Mr. Becker is currently Director of Bands at Parkway South High School and Washington University. He has directed bands in the Parkway School District for 32 years. Also leading the Band is Assistant Conductor and Manager Jeremy Knudtson. Mr. Knudtson is the newly appointed Assistant Band Director at Eureka High School and Wildwood Middle School. Recently Director of Bands in the Valley Park School District, Mr. Knudtson is a tubist and an active member of the local music community, performing and teaching privately throughout the St. Louis area.

History & Membership

In one of the first gatherings of the forming arts council in Manchester, Assistant Conductor Jeremy Knudtson suggested a summer ensemble in the longtime tradition of Community Bands: summer picnics, audiences of all ages, and flag waving coming together to the rich musical heritage of Sousa and Cohan. The idea was well received and promoted to the community as an open invitation to dust off their cases and join the Band. Now with more than 80 members from Manchester and beyond, the Band is rehearsing weekly in anticipation of the concerts in the amphitheater at Paul A. Schroeder Park. The Community Band’s first concert, held on June 15th, was enthusiastically received with more than 250 people in attendance.


Calling all musicians

If you’re a musician and would like to participate, there is still an opportunity to join the band for the Sept 7 concert at Manchester’s Homecoming Celebration. Rehearsals are required. For more band information, please e-mail at: manchestercommunityband@gmail.com


For further information on Manchester Arts:

Web: www.manchestermo.gov/manchesterarts
Facebook: www.facebook.com/manchester.arts.mo

Email: manchesterartsmo@gmail.com

Phone: 636.394.5862 (Mike Clement)


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Manchester Arts is a municipal arts council that seeks to inspire engagement in and appreciation for the arts. Manchester Arts embraces diverse art forms by promoting the arts through performance, exhibits, education, public art, and arts activities thereby creating a more vibrant quality of life for its residents and businesses. Manchester Arts is funded by the City of Manchester.