Notes for spring

In their 46-year history, the St. Albert Community Concert Band and the Saint City Big Band have never been short on spunk.

In keeping with an innate desire to strive for new levels, they’ve won competitive trophies, toured parts of Canada and Europe, and even played for Queen Elizabeth during her last tour in 2005 for Alberta’s Centennial.

The bands’ history is rich, their music spirited. They conclude the season with Spring Concert on Wednesday, June 8 at the Arden Theatre.

“We don’t really have a theme for this concert. It’s all high-energy with a lot of percussion and drums,” said acting president Heather Donlevy, also a flautist in the concert band.

Dr. Angela Schroeder, a very accomplished trumpet player and band music director, has programmed five numbers.

Robert Buckley’s Propulsion opens the evening with driving percussion, high-energy rhythms, dynamic melodies and an overall sense of excitement.

“It’s fast and exuberant and features a bunch of musical moods,” Donlevy noted.

Ron Nelson’s Renaissance suite titled Courtly Airs and Dances varies the moods.

“It’s six movements taking us to five European countries. It’s quite pretty. It takes us from the fast upbeat Italian Saltarello to the slower English Pavane.”

Eric Whitacre is a staple among concert bands and Schroeder has added his composition October.

“It was written by the composer because it was his favourite time of year. It’s an interesting piece because it takes you through the different transitional changes in the month.”

Last year while the band was touring Austria, Schroeder also picked up Johann Strauss II Vom Donaustrande (By the Shores of the Danube).

“It’s a quick tempo polka and is very fast moving. It’s quite challenging to play, but is a very pretty toe-tapping piece.”

The 60-member band sends everyone home with the fiery Conga del Fuego, a brilliant energetic one-off piece.

“It was one of those pieces that I don’t know if the band wanted to play. It is long and when you look at all the pages and notes, you wondered how long it takes to play. But when we got all the sections together, it all fit and sounds awesome.”

Under the leadership of J. F. Picard, the 17-member Saint City Big Band keeps up the animated pace with seven breezy charts.

Expect to hear eclectic jazz instrumentals from Benny Goodman’s Sing, Sing, Sing and Jim Cifelli’s Blues for McCoy to Irving Caesar’s Crazy Rhythms and Tito Puente’s El Rey del Timbal.

The St. Albert Community Band also performs an additional concert this coming Saturday for the St. Albert Farmers’ Market opening. Their first set is at 10 a.m.