A Little Brass For Christmas?

Thu., Dec. 10, 1998

William Berry Correspondent

Doesn’t the coming of the holidays get you thinking about shiny things in silver and gold? Like cornets and euphoniums? That’s right, the Spokane British Brass Band is limbering up their lips for some “Holidays for Brass.”

Brass band means no sniveling clarinets or flutes and British means no brash, ego-driven trumpets. They are civilized enough, however, to allow percussion. A British brass band is specified instrumentation that includes the mellow sounds of cornets, flugelhorns, trombones, alto horns, euphoniums and tuba.

The Spokane British Brass Band is an amateur group, as are all of their counterparts across the pond, although they offer a few scholarship positions. In this instance, I mean amateur in the best sense of the word: These guys and gals love making brass music.

Band leader Richard Strouk has put together a mix of holiday music with some other fun band literature for this Sunday’s performance. They will perform the last segment of Respighi’s “Pines of Rome,” depicting the grandeur of the Appian Way where the Roman armies marched.

According to Strouk, Ray Woodfield’s “Russian Circus Music” has all the sounds of a wild circus, with bears, clowns and acrobats. Also, cornet and flugelhorn soloists Mark Dungan and Matt Parker will be featured in the duet from Delibes’ “Lakme.”

Since Hanukkah begins about the time the concert will be letting out, the band will perform Stephen Bulla’s “Rhapsody for Hanukkah,” which includes such favorites as “The Dreidel Song,” “Raisins and Almonds” and “Eight Days of Hanukkah.”

For those of you anxious for Christmas, the program includes Leroy Anderson’s famous “A Christmas Festival,” a medley of most-sung carols, including “Joy to the World,” “Jingle Bells,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and more. “March — Christmas Rejoicing” is another compilation of well-known tunes by William Gordon.

CONCERT The Spokane British Brass Band will present “Holidays for Brass” on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Mt. Spokane High School, 6015 E. Mt. Spokane Park Drive in Mead. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors, available at G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.

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