2010 - BBBC 20th Anniversary !!
January 01, 2010 - July 04, 2010
It’s hard to believe that the BBBC started as a community brass band in 1990. Today, the BBBC is recognized throughout the world as one of the finest ensembles of its kind. While we proudly call Battle Creek home, the band’s international reputation has been growing steadily. Some of our many achievements over the past 20 years.
The band has performed at several prestigious venues including the International Trumpet Guild “Brassfest” in Bloomington, Indiana, and the International Trombone Associations annual world meeting in Champaign, Illinois. In October 1998 the BBBC traveled to England to perform at their National Brass Band festival at the Royal Albert Hall. The BBBC is the first non-British Brass Band to ever perform at the championships. Following this event the band spent another week in the UK performing at concerts in Wales, Birmingham and Manchester. A CD “Britain and Brass” was produced from concert recordings made during the trip.
Christmas 2000 the band performed at the University of Kentucky as part of their guest artist series. The BBBC was the first band to ever be accorded this honor. Spring 2001 saw the BBBC tour the state of Michigan; performing in Battle Creek, Interlochen, and Hill Auditorium on the campus of the University of Michigan.
The BBBC was invited to perform at the Grand Cayman Islands’ National Heroes Day Celebrations in January of 2007, 2008, and 2009. The band also performed at Millennium Park in the Jay Pritzker Pavillion to a crowd of thousands in Chicago in August 2008, as a part of the city’s free cultural events.
Guest appearance by trumpet legend Doc Severinsen who said of the band: The BBBC represents the beginnings of a new musical movement in America
· Commissioning award-winning composer Philip Sparke to compose Music for Battle Creek, which was the European Brass Band Championship test piece in 2007. Music for B.C. has now been performed or heard by over 10,000 brass players and enthusiasts the world over
The BBBC has many special events planned for our anniversary year in 2010. Some of these include:
· There are no tickets remaining for the free concert on July 2, 2010.Seating is limited to the capacity of the W.K. Kellogg Auditorium. The BBBC would like to thank the community for its support.
The guest conductor is Damon Gupton, a Detroit native who enjoys alternating conducting appearances with his acting roles. Damon received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Michigan, then went on to earn his diploma from The Drama Division of the Juilliard School in New York. He studied conducting with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin at the Aspen Music Festival and with Leonard Slatkin at the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C
A Featured piece of the evening is Speedgetsem, composed by William Bolcom, especially for the Brass Band of Battle Creek. Bolcom is an American composer of chamber, operatic, vocal, choral, cabaret, ragtime, and symphonic music. As a composer, Bolcom has written four violin sonatas; eight symphonies; three operas (McTeague, A View from the Bridge and A Wedding), plus several musical theater operas; eleven string quartets; two film scores (Hester Street and Illuminata); incidental music for stage plays, including Arthur Miller's Broken Glass; fanfares and occasional pieces; and an extensive catalogue of chamber and vocal works.
Other concert highlights include Concerto for Two Trumpets and Brass Band with Chris Jaudes and Rex Richardson, Me/We- I Saw The Light featuring Wycliffe Gordon and members of the Brazeal Dennard Singers, and Neath the Dublin Sky featuring Steve Mead.
· 20th Anniversary Weekend on December 3rd and 4th, 2010. These special concerts will feature a look back at the band’s remarkable 20-year history and a look forward at what’s to come. Click here for a ticket order form to optimize your choice of date and seating preference.
The 20th anniversary marches into 2011 with a Battle Creek performance on Saturday, March 26, with a special finale at Orchestra Hall in Detroit on March 27. Look for ticket order forms and more details soon!
Stay tuned for lots more info on this year-long celebration. We would like to thank the many patrons and supporters who have helped make the band’s accomplishments possible.
