NEWS RELEASE
THE ORILLIA SILVER BAND
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The Orillia Silver Band celebrates the sounds of Christmas with its annual Sleigh Bells and Brass Christmas Concert on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, 2 p.m. at the Orillia Opera House.
This 'can’t miss event' will feature both new and traditional music of the season, with ample opportunity to sing your favourite carols. Tickets are $20 Adults/$10 Students/Children and are available from the Orillia Opera House Box Office.
Neil Barlow, Music Director and Conductor, notes that, among the pieces to be performed during the Christmas concert this year are Alfred Reed’s beautiful Russian Christmas Music, a real showcase for festive percussion.
The Band will feature two of its soloists, Rita Arendz on Tenor Horn and Fred Haire on Euphonium, in a duet performance and present the majestic and exciting Christmas Triptych by James Curnow.
The entertaining Santa Claus-Trophobia by Sandy Smith will feature all of your favourite Santa tunes. The Band will offer a beautiful treatment of the ancient English carol The Holly and The Ivy by Douglas Court; and a perennial holiday favourite - Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival.
If that’s not enough, the Band will be selling a new Christmas CD at the concert. Christmas Time is Here with the Orillia Silver Band was recorded last March at St. James’ Anglican Church in Orillia. The CD features both new and classic Christmas works that have proven popular at the Band's Christmas events.
The title track, from A Charlie Brown Christmas, was written by the American jazz pianist, Vince Guaraldi. For fans of traditional holiday carols, An English Christmas by Philip Sparke and A Christmas Fantasy by Gordon Langford will appeal. The modern Christmas classic O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen is included as is the towering classic for brass band at Christmas, The Kingdom Triumphant by Eric Ball.
The CD will be on sale at the concert for $15, or the Concert Special of 2 CDs for $25. So plan to do a little Christmas shopping; it will make a great stocking stuffer for music lovers.
The Christmas holiday season kicked off with the Band’s Ensemble playing a three-night event in early November at the Bradford Greenhouse Barrie Christmas Soirée. The Band Ensemble entertained over 1,000 people each night attending the Greenhouse’s Christmas Festival.
The Band then participated in five Santa Claus parades around the region: Bala, Orillia, Wasaga Beach, Huntsville and Coldwater. These parades are great fun, entertaining large crowds along the routes.
The Band performed its Sleigh Bells and Brass Concert to a sold-out crowd at the Stockey Centre in Parry Sound in early December. The Band was pleased to be joined by the choir from Parry Sound Public School.
And finally, the Band will be ringing the bells for the Salvation Army Christmas Kettles at two locations in Orillia and offer some carol-singing at the Birchmere Retirement Residence.
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