Mission Hill Brass trumpets Christmas concert

To musicians who spend dedicated nights every week blowing into their horns for no pay and precious little recognition, Mission Hill’s Brass Band holiday concert is a big deal.

To these brass band devotees, there is nothing more exhilarating than the sound of two-dozen horns swinging a jazz concert, playing a glorious march or simply relaying the majesty and cheeriness of the holiday season.

Exactly a week before Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 18, Mission Hill Brass Band’s 27 musicians join forces at St. Albert United Church for Winter’s Snow, a festive celebration of new and old music.

“It’s about the whole winter pageantry,” says music director Dan Skepple.

The concert title is borrowed from English composer Edward Caswell’s Amid the Winter’s Snow, a faith-based pop carol of the nativity.

“It’s one of my favourite carols. I used to sing it a lot when I worked in church,” Skepple noted.

“It starts slow and quiet with percussion entering slowly and then it brings the band in gradually.”

The concert opens with Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, a sparkling, boppy tune the band vetted. Skepple also dusted off Walking In the Air, the theme song from the television special, The Snowman, a perennial favourite in Britain since 1982.

“It’s melodic and very pretty and the harmonies are excellent.”

Skepple also added non-seasonal repertoire with two of Kenneth J. Alford’s military marches – the ageless Army of the Nile and Eagle Squadron.

Flugelhorn player Taina Lorenz steps up to the podium conducting an eight-minute medley of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story that combines several big hits: Maria, I Feel Pretty, Tonight, Somewhere and America.

In addition, the Cantilon Chamber Choir composed of 30 singers from 11 to 17 years old join the brass band as special guests.

By way of explaining why the choir accepted Mission Hill’s invitation to perform in tandem, artistic director Heather Johnson said, “The choir and the brass band are different. But both of us come from a British background. In that, we are the same.”

One memorable contribution to the choral repertoire is the Benjamin Britten 21-minute Ceremony of the Carols written for chorus, solo voices and harp. In place of a harp, pianist Shannon Hebert will accompany the angelic voices.

Their second offering is three pieces: Soul Cake, an arrangement sung by Peter, Paul and Mary; The Christmas Tide, a telling of the traditional Christmas story, and the upbeat, gospel based Children Go Where I Send Thee, an American spiritual.

Johnson added, “There can be nothing more spectacular than fabulous brass instruments and a choir of children.”