The Brass Band of the Tri-State (BBTS), under the direction of Chip Gue, will perform a concert of popular music and marches arranged for brass band at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Grace Rarden Doherty Auditorium in the Huntington Museum of Art. The concert is free and open to the public.

The Brass Band of the Tri-State derives its members from Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia and includes music educators, high school and college students, professionals in all fields, and retirees.

It provides an outlet for serious amateur brass and percussion musicians. The band regularly performs throughout the tri-state and beyond for such venues as assisted living facilities and outdoor community concerts.

BBTS regularly performs for the annual North American Brass Band Association convention, held in various locations throughout the northeast and midwest, where they won several first place awards in their division. Most recently, they performed for the Ohio Brass Arts Festival at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

Although brass instruments can be traced back to the 14th century, during the 1880’s brass band music gained the reputation for being “The Working Man’s Music.” In addition to Christmas music, the music performed by BBTS includes original compositions for brass band, transcriptions of orchestral music, and arrangements written for symphonic and concert band.

The more difficult original works often push brass playing to its limits and demonstrate the tremendous agility of the brass instrument family.

The group performs transcriptions for brass band including music from major works such as Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Shostakovich’s Symphony #5, music from Broadway, television and movies, and the standard collection of great marches and popular music.

The Brass Band of the Tri-State rehearses from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays in the Vinson Middle School band room on Piedmont Road in the west end of Huntington. Anyone who plays a brass instrument and wishes to join should contact Chip Gue, BBTS director, at tcgue@zoominternet.net.