FCBB at the 2008 Great American Brass Band Festival

FCBB's 'Festive June!'

The Fountain City Brass Band recently completed a short tour of the Upper Midwest that saw them present a concert in Columbus, OH at the Ohio Brass Arts Festival and three concerts at Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, KY.

In what was one of the band's longest days to date, their journey started with meeting at 3:30 a.m. to load a coach for the twelve-hour bus ride to The Ohio State University. With crossing one time zone change, there was little time for stopping en route if the band was to make it on time for their 7:00 p.m. concert, but make it they did. The Ohio Brass Arts Festival, organized by Pat Herak of the Brass Band of Columbus, is a festival in its second year that features many fine bands from this brass band rich part of the country. The festival was originally scheduled to take place back in March, but due to a blizzard it had to be postponed. When the organizers of the event asked, "since FCBB would be so close would you consider performing at the OBAF as well," they were honored to accept. Even after such a long day the FCBB, under the direction for the week by Jeffrey Hinton, Director of Band at Missouri Western State University, gave the very receptive audience possibly their finest performance of the tour. After the concert the band, and their generous hosts from the Central Ohio Brass Band and Brass Band of Columbus, relaxed and celebrated at the original Buffalo Wild Wings.

Friday morning came early as the band departed Columbus for the four hour trek down to Danville, KY, home of the Great American Brass Band Festival. After checking into the dorms the band had a rehearsal with the festivals guest artist, Charles Villarubia. Charles, of 'Rythm and Brass' and the University of Texas-Austin fame, was a pleasure to work with and a virtuoso in every sense of the word. The band's rehearsal was well attended by festival organizers and attendees wanting a sneak peak and was just the beginning of what was a wonderful festival. After the rehearsal the band managed to survive a small typhoon during dinner before returning to the dorms for the evening.

After a lazy breakfast at Cracker Barrel the band was ready for the first of their two concerts on the day. The first concert took place in downtown Danville and featured many of the FCBB's fine soloists including, Steve Molloy, soprano (Live and Let Die) , Alan Wenger, cornet (She), Lee Harrelson and Nate Gay, euphonium (Brillante), and the trombone section (I Will Follow Him). Other works performed included Strauss' Fest Musik Statd Wien, The Champions, Gaelforce, Turrin's Hymn for Diana, and the Finale from Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. When the concert was completed the band was able to enjoy all the fine foods and entertainment that the festival has become so famous for.

The Saturday evening event, The Great American Picnic, is a sight to behold. The GABBF reported that they had near 40,000 people in attendance throughout the weekend and it would appear that most of them made it to this event. With the temperature on the mild side for the time of year and a sea of people, you couldn't have asked for a better environment to perform. The band's performance was very well received by the massive audience and was the first of two performances with Charles Villarubia. The band's performance opened with Paul Lovatt-Coopers sizzling Where Eagle's Sing before Charles took the stage to perform Kevin Norbury's Badinage. After these works the band performed two traditional works for brass band, William Himes' stunning setting of Amazing Grace and Charles Anderson's O.R.B. march. The following works saw FCBB wear it 'big band' hat with the first featuring Charles on Basin Street Blues, and the second featuring Alan Wenger, cornet, and Matthew Vangjel, flugel horn, on Lee Harrelson's arrangement of Land of Make Believe. Mr. Vilarubia's final piece for the evening was none other than Arban's Variations on Carnival of Venice, which thrilled the audience. Before an encore of Kansas City, the band performed Eric Crees' wonderful arrangement of America and Somewhere from West Side Story and what has been their staple closer of the year Cantina Band (a la Sing, Sing, Sing). After the concert many of the band stuck around to enjoy the night and especially the Jack Brass.

Sunday, the final day of the tour, started with a much smaller portion of the group at Cracker Barrel and several calls home; it was Father's Day after all. The band got checked out of the dorms and then made it back over to the Main Stage to perform their final concert of the event. The program began with a new arrangement, by Lee Harrelson, of Fanfare and March from Superman which was arranged to show off the talented back row of the band's cornet section. Next on the program, the band invited Charles Villarubia back to the stage to perform the third movemnt of Edward Gregson's Tuba Concerto. As a stand alone work, Mr. Villarubia gave the work an brisk reading that was well received. Having performed his work St. Magnus at this year's North American Brass Band Championships, the band performed another of Kenneth Downie's works, In Perfect Peace, next on the program before featuring the cornet section on Bugler's Holiday. The horn section feature, Hey Jude, was sandwiched in between Charles Villarubia's final two solo selections Endearing Young Charms and a reprise of Carnival of Venice. With such a rich Civil War heritage around Danville, fittingly the band finished their GABBF experience with Reunion and Finale from Gettysburg. Back on the bus and an early Monday morning arrival in Kansas City marked the end of the band's sixth year.

The band would like to thank all those who dedicated countless hours of work to make the Great American Brass Band Festival such an amazing experience.

After spending nine months in America, British baritone star, Helen Tyler, decides to make it home.

Throughout the 2007-2008 season, the Fountain City Brass Band had a very special guest in their ranks. 'On loan' from the Bolton Music Service and Foden's Band, Helen Tyler made a huge impression on the FCBB and the banding community in America as a whole.

Listing all of the accomplishments and positive influences Helen had on the FCBB throughout last season could quite easily fill a book, and the FCBB and her newly formed Fountain City Brass Academy, are incredibly thankful and humbled by her decision to remain with them in America. Giving up a wonderful career with the Bolton Music Service, not even to mention her career with some of the finest UK brass bands in the world, is a remarkable testament to her faith in the youth and adult brass band movement in America. The FCBB is forever grateful and wishes her the best of luck!

FCBB Spotlight: FCBB's New Home

MID AMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY SELECTED AS
NEW HOME TO FOUNTAIN CITY BRASS BAND
New Partnership Spurs MNU Concert Series

OLATHE, KS – A lively harmony will echo its way across the campus at Mid America Nazarene University (MNU) beginning this August. That’s when MNU’s Bell Center will become home to the Fountain City Brass Band.

Kansas City’s award-winning, hometown band recently announced it will make MNU’s Bell Center its permanent home, where it will conduct regular rehearsals in between road trips for local, regional, national and international performances and competitions. This will be the first official home to the 30-piece ensemble, which was founded in 2002, and is under the direction of Musical Director Dr. Joseph Parisi, and Artistic Director Lee Harrelson.

“We are incredibly humbled and excited to have entered into such wonderful partnership with MNU and the Bell Center,” says Harrelson. “The facilities are second to none, and we look forward to a long and mutually prosperous relationship.”

MNU was first introduced to the Fountain City Brass Band during a campus performance in April. Upon inviting the band to return for a future performance, the invitation gave way to discussions about a permanent home for the band, which had been practicing at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) with limited availability. Bell Center Coordinator Karen Phillips says the facility will provide the Fountain City Brass Band with ample room for practices in its many music classrooms, as well as to the auditorium’s incredible acoustical environment. It’s a partnership MNU is equally proud to announce.

“We are so excited about this opportunity to partner with the Fountain City Brass Band. They are outstanding musicians and, coupled with the acoustical atmosphere in the Mabee Performing Arts Hall, the room literally sang their music during their first campus performance,” says Phillips.

In addition to making its new home at MNU, the Fountain City Brass Band has announced a six-concert performance series on the campus during the 2008-2009 school year. The first concert will take place on Tuesday, September 16th at 7:30 p.m. in the Bell Center’s Mabee Performing Arts Hall. For more information about future campus performances, visit www.mnu.edu, and click on Bell Center for complete event information. For more information about the Fountain City Brass Band, visit www.fcbb.net.

The FCBB is proud to announce they are in the editing phase of their first CD entitled Celebration. The recording is a musical journey through their magical year of 2007 and is set to be released in time for the holidays. Pre-orders for the CD are now being accepted. Buy your CD now ($15) and get free shipping.

Bolton Youth Band are getting ready to hit the United States with the help of Helen Tyler.

On Friday 11th July, Bolton Youth Brass Band started their trip of a lifetime to, and are due to set off for America on .

The 45 strong band and 8 tutors/staff will flew out from Manchester to Newark, where they any joust made the flight on to Kansas City. The group must have brought some of their famous English weather with them as their first concert at English Landing Park had to be cancelled due to heavy rain. BYBB at least had some good fortune later that day because as the clouds dispersed they got to watch the KC Royals win a game, which was the first time most members had ever seen a baseball game.

Workshop

On Sunday 13th July the group was joined by members of the Fountain City Youth Bass Academy for a joint workshop at St. James Academy, Lenexa. Professors Lee Harrelson, Joe Parisi, Jamie Mitchell and Steve Molloy works with students, which culminated in a short performance and a game of 'American Football' outside.

Monday 14th saw the band participate as part of the conductors symposium at UMKC. It was a great honor for the band to be invited to perform at such a high profile event and the students thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The highlight of the tour for most of the band came on Tuesday 15th when the band traveled to Hutchinson, Kansas to perform a pre show for the Starlite DCI competition. Marching band and DCI is uncommon in the UK so when Phantom Regiment and Blue Devils performed it was certainly an experience that the students will never forget.

Wednesday and Thrursdy saw the band enjoy some down time at Oceans of Fun, the American Jazz Museum and Worlds of Fun before they were band on the road to perform at Wichita on Saturday 19th July. The bands final performance of the tour was as gala band for the Kansas Bandmasters Association Conference which was a huge success in spreading the work about brass bands and in particular to encourage local band directors to get students to participate in the new Fountain City Youth Brass Academy.

Members on BYBB were treated to one final American tradition before departing home thanks to Marion Roberts at Blue Valley North. On the Sunday, students from BVN and BYBB joined to take part in a day of marching fundamentals, again something that band students in the UK don't experience. Much fun was had by all and many new friends were made.

Dream come true

The tour was a dream come true for all the youngsters and their tutors, who have spent the last 18 months fund-raising, and raised an incredible £37,000!

The band's Musical Director Helen Minshall is delighted with the team spirit and enthusiasm of the young players, and is really looking forward to the tour.

Sponsor

The tour's main sponsor was the Rotary Club of Bolton le Moors, but many other local sponsors came forward, and the rest of the money was raised through hard work - caroling, bag packing, car boot sales, sponsored events including a balloon race and a parachute jump, and there were many fund-raising concerts and events.

Sadly missed

MD, Helen Minshall told us "When the band return to the UK on Tuesday 22nd July, they will leave Helen Tyler in America. Helen has indeed secured a full time post working at St James Academy in Kansas, and working as Youth Outreach Development Officer for the Fountain City Brass Band."