The Golden Belt Community Concert Association will host the Dallas Brass, one of America’s foremost musical ensembles, on Thursday. The group will conduct a high school band clinic in the afternoon and perform a concert that evening.
The clinic for area high school bands is set from noon to 1:15 p.m. in the Great Bend High School Auditorium. The GBHS Varsity Band also will rehearse with the Dallas Brass and perform one piece with the group during the 7:30 p.m. concert at the Great Bend Municipal Auditorium, Lakin and Stone.
The community concerts are for association members only, however, for this concert a section of the auditorium will be reserved for GBHS band members, and in addition, each band member will receive two tickets for parents’ admission. Parents with those complimentary tickets will be admitted to the concert at 7:15 p.m. Area band members and other full-time students will be admitted for a $5 fee at the door. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
The Dallas Brass has a strong dedication to working with young musicians. The group recently published two books of original small ensemble music for middle school and high school students on up, called Brass Groove. The group frequently goes into schools to present clinics for band students. Inviting students to join them in concert for a selection has become a Dallas Brass trademark.
Founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1983 by Michael Levine, the Dallas Brass has established a unique blend of traditional brass instruments with a full complement of drums and percussion, creating a performing entity of extraordinary range and musical challenges. The Dallas Brass repertoire includes classical masterpieces, Dixieland, swing, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music.
In addition to the group’s solo engagements, the Dallas Brass appears with symphony orchestras nationwide. Symphonic credits include the Cincinnati Pops conducted by Erich Kunzel, New York Pops conducted by Skitch Henderson, and the Philly Pops conducted by Peter Nero. The Dallas Brass has performed at Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and has toured overseas to Europe and the Far East.
The group has shared the stage with Bob Hope, has performed for Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, and has appeared on the CBS "Early Show." Music by the Dallas Brass has been used numerous times on the television show, "The Young and The Restless."
