Purdue Summer Band one of the 'surprises' at 'Christmas in July' concert

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The Purdue Summer Concert Band and the Lafayette Citizens Band will join forces for a “Christmas in July” concert on Thursday, July 12, that’s filled with surprises.

The Purdue Summer Concert Band, directed by Jay S. Gephart, joins the Lafayette Citizens Band as an added attraction to its weekly outdoor concert. They will present a special musical set done in the classical pops style of John Phillip Sousa. It starts at 6:30 p.m. at Riehle Plaza

The Citizens’ Band will take over the stage at their normal start time of 7:30 p.m. with a program designed to cool audiences off with tunes that have winter or holiday settings such as Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”

While the Citizens Band, directed by retired Purdue Band director Bill Kisinger, does a series of concerts, the Purdue Summer Concert Band does just one concert each July. In what’s become a summer tradition, Purdue University Bands pulls together college students, Purdue faculty and staff members, high school students and community musicians for an intensive summer band experience leading to the concert. This year’s band boasts 70 members from teenagers to octogenarians.

“The thing about summer band that I enjoy is the wonderful mix of people. It’s the one time a year it exists and it takes a great collaboration to make it happen. That’s what makes it so fun,” says Gephart.

Many of the Purdue Summer Band musicians, and nearly all of Purdue’s music faculty members, play in the Citizens Band which makes the July 12 concert a special doubleheader event.

Joe Roswarski, an alto sax player who graduated from Harrison High School, will be featured at the concert in Sammy Nestico’s “Persuasion.” It will be the final performance for Roswarski, a standout in the Purdue Symphonic Band and Purdue Jazz Band during his undergraduate days at Purdue, before he begins medical school this fall.

Among the other tunes on the Purdue Summer Band’s set are “Broadway Showstoppers Overture” by Warren Barker, “Who’s Who in Navy Blue” by John Philip Sousa, “The Blue Tail Fly” by Clare Grundman, “Oceanscapes” by Rob Romeyn and “Clarinet Candy” by Leroy Anderson.

Admission to the “Christmas in July” concert is free, and those attending are encouraged lawn chairs for seating on the plaza and its surrounding grounds.

Forward to a Friend