OUS concert series continues tomorrow

Published 10:39 am Friday, December 6, 2013

The Greater Huntington Symphonic Band will perform its annual Christmas concert featuring Christmas music and other holiday favorites at Ohio University Southern in Ironton at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Riffe Center Mains Rotunda.

The symphonic band has existed for decades under several different names and conductors, but came together in its present form in 1964 with Homer Oschenhirt serving as director. At that time the band was housed in the old Stella Fuller Building in Huntington, W.Va., and gave concerts at the Stella Fuller Playground.

The ensemble, directed by Tom Thompson since 1990, draws its membership from the Tri-State, including Huntington, Charleston, W.Va., Ashland, Ky., Ironton, Russell, Ky., and Flatwoods, Ky.

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It is a nonprofit organization funded by donations to purchase music. Membership is open to anyone who has basic music reading and musicianship skills and likes to play band music. Current members range in age from 14 to 84 as students, retirees and working professionals are all represented. The band is currently in need of trombones, clarinets and percussion.

Rehearsals are at 7 p.m. Thursday nights in the Vinson Middle School band room.

The concert is co-sponsored by the Ironton Council for the Arts and Ohio University Southern. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the door, or by visiting the arts council website at www.southern.ohiou.edu/irontonarts.