community band’s next concert is rich in musical tradition

by Oda Lisa, published in The Wimberley View 9/21/23

Later this fall, the Hill Country Community Band will share their musical gifts by presenting “Gems of the Concert Band” at the First Baptist Church of Wimberley.

During the free and family-friendly concert on Sunday, Oct. 1, band director Manuel Arambula, Ph.D., will conduct a number of well-known compositions, among others: “Allerseelen” (“All Souls’ Day”), by Richard Strauss; “The Free Lance March” (“On to Victory”) by John Philip Sousa; and “Second Suite in F for Military Band” by Gustav Holst.

Arambula said, “I believe very highly in honoring the heritage of the concert band. Until the previous century, western music was dominated by music for the symphony orchestra. Much progress has been made in the last one hundred years in regards to concert band music. For our season opener, I wanted a program that honors the heritage of the concert band by programming only ‘classic’ band pieces.”

Explaining what he considers classic, he said, “These are musical pieces that are of high quality and written specifically for the concert band. These have stood the test of time and are still continually played in the concert band world.”

The Hill Country Community Band is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose musicians are volunteers from the Central Texas area. Visit hillcountrycommunityband.org or follow the HCCB on Facebook for more information.