Raritan Valley Symphonic Band Concert Sunday, April 22nd

The Raritan Valley Symphonic Band (RVSB) will present a concert titled Opera! on Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 3:00 pm in the Bridgewater-Raritan High School auditorium. The school is located at 600 Garretson Road, Bridgewater, New Jersey. Admission is free and open to the public.

The concert will feature musical works from 17th and 18th century Italian opera including, “Rienzi Overture” by Richard Wagner; “The Marriage of Figaro Overture” by W.A. Mozart; “The Prelude — To Act I of La Traviata” by G.Verdi; “Jasper’s Dance” from Pineapple Poll and many more.

The concert is made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and administered by the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission through the State/County Partnership Local Arts Program. The Band is sponsored by the Jointure for Community Adult Education and by contributions from local businesses, corporations, foundations and private citizens.

For more information about the concert, becoming a sponsor, to request assistance for persons with disabilities, or to inquire about joining the Band, consult the Band’s website or call (908)359-3136.
- RVSB Press Release

RVSB 2011 Holiday Concert

The Raritan Valley Symphonic Band presents it's 2011 holiday concert Musical "War Horses" and Holiday Classics this afternoon, December 4th, 3 p.m., at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

A pre-concert presentation starting at 2:15 p.m.will help the audience further appreciate the music.

According to their press release:

The concert will feature a number of great concert hall classics including, “Festive Overture” by Soviet Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich; the first movement from Symphony in B Minor, “The Unfinished Symphony” by composer Franz Schubert; scenes from “The Louvre” based on Ancient Airs by composer Norman Dello Joio; John Philip Sousa’s “King Cotton” march and more widely familiar musical works.

A new feature will be added to this concert— Larry Markiewicz, RVSB Conductor, will be hosting a multimedia pre-concert chat about the music to be performed, with a focus on scenes from “The Louvre”. This free, informal session will be held in the choir room directly next to the auditorium, from 2:15-2:45pm and is open to the public.

There is no admission charge for the concert although donations are accepted. Additionally, as a fundraiser the RVSB "...will be selling ShopRite gift cards at this concert (cash/check only). This is a great way to support the RVSB. Just purchase the gift cards at face value ($20, $25, $50 or $100) and use them at any ShopRite. The band receives a percentage of all gift card purchases. ...".
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For more information about RVSB go here.

RVSB Pops Concert 2011

The Raritan Valley Symphonic Band presents its spring 2011 pops concert America: The Story of "U.S." this Sunday, June 12th at 3 p.m. at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

According to the RVSB press release:

"...The concert will take the audience on a musical journey through the history of the United States. The music will begin with “Chester,” William Schuman’s tribute to the Revolutionary War, and follow with “Gettysburg” by Randy Edelman, from the score to the 1993 movie that chronicled the Civil War. “Shenandoah” by Frank Ticheli will evoke images of the serene and beautiful hills and valleys of Virginia.

A pair of tunes by John Williams, “Cowboys” (from the 1972 film starring John Wayne) and “Liberty Fanfare,” salute the American west and the Statue of Liberty, respectively. “Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite March” by Karl King, will showcase one of the most well-known circus marches (also known as “screamers”) ever composed.

Moving to the twentieth century, the concert will include “New York 1927” by Warren Barker; Leroy Anderson’s 1950 classic “Blue Tango,” the first instrumental to sell one million records; and an arrangement of tunes popularized by “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” Frank Sinatra. There will be some musical surprises included in the concert as well, including a choral accompaniment and some guest conductors..."

There is no admission fee although donations are always welcome.

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For more information about the Raritan Valley Symphonic Band go here.

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"A nation creates music - the composer only arranges it." - Mikhail Glinka (1804 - 1857)

"I must study politics and war, that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, and naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain."
- John Adams (1735-1826)

"The truest expression of a people is in its dance and music." - Agnes de Mile (1905-93)

"[An intellectual] is someone who can listen to the "William Tell Overture" without thinking of the Lone Ranger." - John Chesson

RVSB Concert

The Raritan Valley Symphonic Band Concert Overture, Curtain, Lights! This Is It! The Night of Nights! starts at 3 p.m. today at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, 600 Garretson Road, Bridgewater.

The featured guest soloist is trombonist Joseph Alessi of the New York Philharmonic.

According to the RVSB press release:

The band will feature “Morning, Noon and Night In Vienna,” by Austrian composer Franz Von Suppe; “The Vanished Army (They Never Die)” by British composer Kenneth Alford, a tribute to soldiers killed in World War I; a moving rendition of “Elsa’s Procession To The Cathedral” by Richard Wagner; selections from the show “Les Miserables”; and “The Trombone King,” a lively march by American composer Karl L. King.

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For more information about the Raritan Valley Symphonic Band go here.

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Photographs of the April 26, 2010 concert courtesy of Susan Gulliford and George Mariasz.

RVSB Children's Concert 2010

The 2010 Raritan Valley Symphonic Band's Children's Concert, American as Apple Pie, is Sunday, February 7th, 3 p.m., at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, 600 Garretson Road, Bridgewater.

This year's concert will include music by Stephen Foster and John Williams, Disney tunes, and Looney Toons.

The RVSB children's concert is a perfect opportunity to combine family fun with an educational component. It's designed for children 2-to-10-years-old, from the brightly colored shirts worn by the band members to the choice of music, the length (not too long for wiggly little ones), the informal audience dress, and some type of audience participation - singing, clapping, etc.



Following the concert, the children are encouraged to meet the band members and get up close to the instruments. The kids usually get stickers, so they even have something to take home.

Adults will have a good time ,too. Really!
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For those who feel that they cannot miss this Sunday's football game, the concert is scheduled to get you home in time.

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For more information visit the RVSB website here.

Holiday Activities

The Raritan Valley Symphonic Band and the Raritan Valley Choral Society are both presenting their holiday/winter concerts tomorrow, Sunday, at 3 p.m.

The Band is presenting its Winter Wonderland Concert in the Bridgewater-Raritan High School auditorium, 600 Garretson Road, Bridgewater with John Pastin as the guest conductor. The program will include classic and holiday numbers. Admission is free although donations are accepted. For more information, go here.

The Choral Society holiday concert "A Season to Celebrate" is being held at the Hillsborough Reformed Church at Main Street and Amwell Road in Millstone Borough. Their guest performers will be the Summit Strings and the Riverside Quartet. Admission is $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for students and seniors. For their website go here.

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From the Hillsborough Township Website:

The Chabad Center for Jewish Life is holding its annual Chanukah Wonderland and Grand Menorah Lighting at the Hillsborough Municipal Complex on Sunday, December 13th from 3pm-5pm. There will be a celebration prior to the lighting of the menorah in the Multipurpose Room.

The free event, open to the public, will feature live music, crafts, latkes and doughnuts, chocolate gelt, face painting, draidels for all participants and lots more. Residents are asked to bring canned goods to be donated to the food pantry.

For more information go here.

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Three events that I would like to attend...all being held at the same time. When it rains it pours.

RVSB Children's Concert

Every detail of this weekend's Raritan Valley Symphonic Band Children's Concert is designed to appeal to the younger set, from the multi-colored polo shirts worn by the musicians...
to the chance for wiggly audience members to dance in the aisles led by enthusiastic band members...
and sing-along with familiar friends...

Following the 45-minute concert (short enough for the most fidgety audience member) the children are invited to stop in the lobby and see the individual band instruments up close...

The Children's Concert is this Sunday, February 1st at 3 p.m. in the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Auditorium, 600 Garretson Road, Bridgewater.

For more information on the concert go here.

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The concert is designed to allow those who wish to watch football to get home in time. Take your camera; this is a photo-op for your favorite kids.

Equal Opportunity Enjoyment

Music is equal opportunity. It doesn't care about your age, sex, race, religion, net worth, your disabilities or abilities, what kind of job you hold or whether you don't hold any job at all.

Music brought together the diverse group that spent this cold rainy gray Sunday afternoon enjoying the Raritan Valley Symphonic Band concert at the high school.

These musicians don't get paid money for their hours and hours of hard work, so they must do it for the sheer joy of creating music, meeting other musicians, and then sharing the joy and the music with their neighbors.

And I must say, they are very good at sharing.