On Monday, July 2, 2012, the Marion Concert Band will hold its first show of the 2012 summer season. The band, which is in its 134th year, will have nine concerts total this year.
Tobias Monte, the ensemble’s conductor and musical director has quite a storied history with the group, himself. He played trumpet in the band when he was in high school in 1974. By 1985, he was leading the band and has been at the helm ever since.
“I’ve known most of the people in the group for years and years. They all come from far and wide to play here because it’s a good group. It’s fun and relaxing,” Monte said.
The concert band is made up of about 40 musicians from students and teachers, amateurs and professionals. While most are from the greater New Bedford area, some come from as far away as Brockton, Seekonk, and Somerset. The summer concert series is a long-standing tradition in Marion.
Each week will feature a different theme. The lead off concert will be comprised of all patriotic music, to commemorate Independence Day on Wednesday, July 4. “We do a classic band-style concerts similar to what John Philip Sousa would have done,” said Monte. The programs will consist of about 12 pieces each, so this season they will have learned over 100 pieces of music. Not bad, considering they only rehearse about four times each season. “We have some very talented musicians who play with us,” Monte said.
He likes to shine the spotlight on many of musicians in the process, showcasing the different sounds and talents of his musicians. “This summer we will be featuring a recent high school grad playing solo bassoon for a Mozart concerto. We will also have a flute trio featured sometime during the season,” said Monte.
Some other themes Monte has chosen for the season include film and TV music, Broadway hits, children’s music, Latin music, and American pop. Under Monte’s direction, they have tackled music by Wagner, Shostakovich, and Percy Grainger. This year, the band is taking on a medley from “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein.
The free summer shows by the Marion Concert will be held every Monday evening during the summer from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm.
By Eric Tripoli
