The Dundas Concert Band marked its 170th anniversary this year and performs its annual Christmas Concert to wind down the special anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m., in St. Paul's United Church at 29 Park St. W.
The concert is free, but the volunteer concert band will gratefully accept donations at the door.
The concert band thanks its Christmas performance sponsor, the Turner Family Funeral Home for making the event possible.
Conductor Bill Rolfe has put together a program with a variety of music to entertain both young and old. There will be some selections newly purchased with last year’s donations, like Scenes from Nutcracker and A Rollicking Hanukkah, as well as some old crowd favourites like Sleigh Ride and A Legend of Kings.
For the younger crowd the Dundas Concert Band will be playing some newer Christmas music like Christmas Eve/Sarajevo as performed by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Oogie Boogie’s Song from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
But the new piece Concert Band president Susan Dittmer says will steal the spotlight is Symphonic Suite from STAR WARS: The Force Awakens.
"Star Wars at a Christmas Concert you say? Well, we have taken a little liberty with this one because, as every Star Wars fans knows, the Star Wars movies are traditionally released on Christmas Day," Dittmer said.
She said the orchestral music by Academy Award winner John Williams, arranged by Jay Bocook for the concert band, "is thrilling and will sound amazing in St. Paul’s sanctuary." Dittmer said the piece will give all Star Wars fans goosebumps.
The concert band moved its annual Christmas Concert to the then recently renovated St. Paul's church in 2017, after several years at the Dundas Lions Memorial Community Centre, to benefit from the excellent acoustics in the church.
Gordon Cameron, group managing editor of the Hamilton Community News, will once again act as MC, and as always, the concert will include a Christmas carol singalong with band accompaniment to help get everyone in the Christmas spirit.
Dittmer said earlier this year a band member researched the Dundas Concert Band's history and learned the organization's predecessor, the Dundas Citizen's Band, was formed in 1848.
They found a November 1849 advertisement in the Dundas Warder newspaper, announcing the Dundas Amateur Band's second concert of vocal and instrumental music.
The Hamilton Gazette reported the Dundas Citizen's Band won first prize — 25 pounds — at Hamilton's Grand Provincial Fair in 1853.
The Dundas Concert Band marked its 170th anniversary this year and performs its annual Christmas Concert to wind down the special anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m., in St. Paul's United Church at 29 Park St. W.
The concert is free, but the volunteer concert band will gratefully accept donations at the door.
The concert band thanks its Christmas performance sponsor, the Turner Family Funeral Home for making the event possible.
Conductor Bill Rolfe has put together a program with a variety of music to entertain both young and old. There will be some selections newly purchased with last year’s donations, like Scenes from Nutcracker and A Rollicking Hanukkah, as well as some old crowd favourites like Sleigh Ride and A Legend of Kings.
For the younger crowd the Dundas Concert Band will be playing some newer Christmas music like Christmas Eve/Sarajevo as performed by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Oogie Boogie’s Song from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
But the new piece Concert Band president Susan Dittmer says will steal the spotlight is Symphonic Suite from STAR WARS: The Force Awakens.
"Star Wars at a Christmas Concert you say? Well, we have taken a little liberty with this one because, as every Star Wars fans knows, the Star Wars movies are traditionally released on Christmas Day," Dittmer said.
She said the orchestral music by Academy Award winner John Williams, arranged by Jay Bocook for the concert band, "is thrilling and will sound amazing in St. Paul’s sanctuary." Dittmer said the piece will give all Star Wars fans goosebumps.
The concert band moved its annual Christmas Concert to the then recently renovated St. Paul's church in 2017, after several years at the Dundas Lions Memorial Community Centre, to benefit from the excellent acoustics in the church.
Gordon Cameron, group managing editor of the Hamilton Community News, will once again act as MC, and as always, the concert will include a Christmas carol singalong with band accompaniment to help get everyone in the Christmas spirit.
Dittmer said earlier this year a band member researched the Dundas Concert Band's history and learned the organization's predecessor, the Dundas Citizen's Band, was formed in 1848.
They found a November 1849 advertisement in the Dundas Warder newspaper, announcing the Dundas Amateur Band's second concert of vocal and instrumental music.
The Hamilton Gazette reported the Dundas Citizen's Band won first prize — 25 pounds — at Hamilton's Grand Provincial Fair in 1853.
The Dundas Concert Band marked its 170th anniversary this year and performs its annual Christmas Concert to wind down the special anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m., in St. Paul's United Church at 29 Park St. W.
The concert is free, but the volunteer concert band will gratefully accept donations at the door.
The concert band thanks its Christmas performance sponsor, the Turner Family Funeral Home for making the event possible.
Conductor Bill Rolfe has put together a program with a variety of music to entertain both young and old. There will be some selections newly purchased with last year’s donations, like Scenes from Nutcracker and A Rollicking Hanukkah, as well as some old crowd favourites like Sleigh Ride and A Legend of Kings.
For the younger crowd the Dundas Concert Band will be playing some newer Christmas music like Christmas Eve/Sarajevo as performed by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Oogie Boogie’s Song from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
But the new piece Concert Band president Susan Dittmer says will steal the spotlight is Symphonic Suite from STAR WARS: The Force Awakens.
"Star Wars at a Christmas Concert you say? Well, we have taken a little liberty with this one because, as every Star Wars fans knows, the Star Wars movies are traditionally released on Christmas Day," Dittmer said.
She said the orchestral music by Academy Award winner John Williams, arranged by Jay Bocook for the concert band, "is thrilling and will sound amazing in St. Paul’s sanctuary." Dittmer said the piece will give all Star Wars fans goosebumps.
The concert band moved its annual Christmas Concert to the then recently renovated St. Paul's church in 2017, after several years at the Dundas Lions Memorial Community Centre, to benefit from the excellent acoustics in the church.
Gordon Cameron, group managing editor of the Hamilton Community News, will once again act as MC, and as always, the concert will include a Christmas carol singalong with band accompaniment to help get everyone in the Christmas spirit.
Dittmer said earlier this year a band member researched the Dundas Concert Band's history and learned the organization's predecessor, the Dundas Citizen's Band, was formed in 1848.
They found a November 1849 advertisement in the Dundas Warder newspaper, announcing the Dundas Amateur Band's second concert of vocal and instrumental music.
The Hamilton Gazette reported the Dundas Citizen's Band won first prize — 25 pounds — at Hamilton's Grand Provincial Fair in 1853.