Grand Street Community Band Holiday Concert

The Grand Street Community Band, under the direction of Mr. Jeffery Ball, will perform a Holiday Concert on Wednesday, December 10th at 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Street Campus High School (850 Grand Street). Admission is a suggested donation of $10.

The winter concert will feature an array of symphonic and holiday band repertoire, from the classic Christmas carol “Adeste Fidelis” to the New York premiere of the “Tube Concerto” by Philip Sparke, published in 2007. The program will also include the first movement of Johan de Meij‘s symphony, “The Lord of the Rings, ” and also arrangements of “Russian Christmas Music” and “The Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol.”

This marks the first holiday concert for the Grand Street Community Band, an all-volunteer ensemble of professional, semi-professional and amateur musicians, which was founded in February 2008. “There’s nothing else like this group in New York,” said Ball, who is a music teacher at the Grand Street Campus High School in Williamsburg. “One of the big challenges in forming a band such as this in the city is always going to be rehearsal space, but we are fortunate enough to have access to the high school’s band room.” The group also uses the high school’s auditorium, a pristine 1000-seat theater, for its concerts throughout the season.

“The Grand Street Community Band fills a huge void in the New York music scene,” remarked Sarah Ricard, a clarinetist and board member for the group. “Before GSCB, I had a hard time finding an all-volunteer concert band in the area. Since I joined the group in February, I’ve seen interest grow from local musicians who played in high school and college, and also from folks who love live music and the small-town charm that the band evokes.”

Members of the Grand Street Community Band will also take to the streets of Williamsburg the weekend of December 6th, performing brass chorales of holiday music at various street corners between Bedford Avenue and Graham Avenue.

The Grand Street Community Band is North Brooklyn’s largest classical music organization with over 40 players. It rehearses every Tuesday night in Williamsburg and is always looking for new members. For further information, please contact (718) 349-8985 or go to the band’s website at grandstreetband.org.