The audience may have been small, but the live holiday music of the Quahog Brass Quintet brought many smiles to those who attended their concert on Friday, December 9 at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion.
The musical group – which played instruments including two trumpets, a French horn, a trombone and a tuba – offered its first winter holiday performance in the hope of bringing people back to the simpler joys of this time of year.
“I get really disgusted with the commercialism of the season, and I have yearning for something that is not that way,” explained Bob Katcher – a member of the Quintet. “We want people to just come and sing, and enjoy it as something to do with your family.”
In addition to singing traditional favorites – which the quintet played by audience request throughout the night – the group shared their favorite holiday memories.
“[The audience was] talking about Christmases when they were kids and what their traditions were. Before a song about a Christmas tree – we asked them ‘How do you get your tree?’, ‘How did you decorate it ‘ and what was going on for them at that time. We got some interesting stories,” Mr. Katcher said. He said these stories should be shared more often, especially with children.
Mr. Katcher expressed some disappointment in the size of the audience and in the lack of children participants – but said he hopes to reschedule the event for a different time next year – perhaps early Sunday afternoon – to help draw in more families.
“We’d love to come back, learn from our experience, and do a better job,” he said. St. Gabriel Church’s Director of Music, Leslie Piper, said in time it is a hope that the event will become better known and anticipated by locals.
For the church’s reverend, Jeffrey Piper, he said the tradition of singing fits in well with the church’s mission.
“From my oar in the water, there are things that raise our souls and spirit, and music is one of those,” Rev. Piper said. “To any degree that our parish can increase joy, that is part of the larger mission. Music is one of our ways to do that.”
By Laura Fedak Pedulli