Performance at MU’s Smith Music Recital Hall

The Brass Band of the Tri-State, under the direction of Dr. Michael Stroeher, will present its annual Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Smith Music Recital Hall at Marshall University.

In addition to the band’s Christmas concert, the ensemble performs a variety of music encompassing several genres and styles, including traditional brass band music from England and North America, original pieces arranged specifically for the band, musicals, marches, orchestral transcriptions, Salvation Army Band music and popular selections. The Brass Band of the Tri-State is a proud member of the prestigious North American Band Association.

The brass group has been in existence for more than 20 years, and is comprised of amateur musicians from across the Tri-State and beyond. The band performs throughout the year and has won numerous awards on the international level at the North American Brass Band Association annual competitions.

The ensemble consists of retirees, community members and music students from Marshall University. Community members in the band represent diverse occupations as well, including music teachers, college professors and engineers.

Tonight’s Christmas program will feature several Christmas favorites arranged for brass instruments, and will open with Leroy Anderson’s ever-popular “A Christmas Festival.” It will continue with “In the Bleek of Mid-Winter,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Greensleeves” and “The Christmas Song.” The concert will then conclude with “Nutcracker ‘Sweet,’” a lively parody of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.”

Admission is free, and the concert is open to the public.

The Brass Band of the Tri-State rehearses once a week from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday evenings in the Vision Middle School band room in the Westmoreland area of Huntington.

The group is seeking new members, and anyone who is interested in joining or desiring additional information is encouraged to visit the Brass Band of the Tri-State Facebook page of call 304-617-3461.