Concert to feature CSM students
The College of Southern Maryland presents the Southern Maryland Concert Band (SMCB) at 8 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Fine Arts Center on the La Plata Campus, 8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata.
The SMCB, under the direction of Michael Peerless, continues its collaboration with CSMs music program, through which students receive college credit in exchange for participation in the band. The October concert will feature CSM music majors Andrew Gilcrest of Prince Frederick and Laura Grantham of Waldorf on percussion and euphonium, respectively.
We have used the Fine Arts Center for our formal concerts for many years, and it has been a pleasure for CSM students to join in for rehearsals and concerts, said Mary Lane, a founding musician and clarinet player in the group. We hope they become full-time members.
The performance will feature a variety of patriotic compositions, classical pieces and works by American composers. “I look forward to another great concert of diverse band styles ranging from arrangements of contemporary choral music to Broadway show tunes and band masterpieces of the past,” said CSMs Coordinator of Music Stephen Johnson.
SMCB was founded in 1984 by Charles Armstrong in Charles County. A long-time music teacher, Armstrong pieced together a group of former students from his more than 25-year career. The band was officially named the Southern Maryland Concert Band in 1985 to reflect the geographic diversity of its membership and its public performance locations throughout the three counties of Southern Maryland.
The SMCB is the only community-based instrumental ensemble dedicated to providing quality, affordable performances to families in Southern Maryland. By offering a challenging and superior music repertoire and rehearsing diligently from January through the end of October, the SMCB ensures the finest musical product each year, Lane said. I especially look forward to our formal concerts. I consider these shows to be the highlight of our concert calendar, she added.
Tickets cost $5 in advance, $7 on the day of the performance. A Fall Ensemble Combo ticket may be purchased for $20 for admittance to six concert events in the Fine Arts Center on the La Plata Campus. For information about this event as well as ensemble combination tickets, visit www.csmd.edu/Arts or contact the Box Office at bxoffice@csmd.edu or call 301-934-7828.
Calendar Listing
CSM Hosts the Southern Maryland Concert Band. 8 p.m., Oct. 26. College of Southern Maryland, La Plata Campus, Fine Arts Center, 8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata. The Southern Maryland Concert Band is an all-volunteer, non-profit, community-based ensemble of adult and student instrumentalists dedicated to performing quality concert band music for audiences in and around Southern Maryland. $5 in advance, $7 day of concert; $20 fall ensemble combination ticket. www.csmd.edu/Arts, bxoffc@csmd.edu or 301-934-7828.