The popular group of musicians will present “Home for Christmas: A Veteran’s Story” at First Baptist Church, 1275 Stuart Rd., at 7 p.m. under the direction of Don Bindrim.
This Christmas concert is free to the public though donations will be accepted to help support community music programs. Since its inception, the Greater Cleveland Concert Band’s Christmas concert has become one of the area’s most popular musical events.
Also featured will be The Jazz Band and Vocal Rhapsody, a 16- to 20-member auditioned vocal ensemble from Cleveland State Community College. The vocalists will sing an acapella jazz arrangement of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” and Camp Kirkland’s “A Salute to the Armed Forces,” accompanied by the Concert Band. Karen Dale is the director of Vocal Rhapsody.
The program will begin with the presentation of colors by the Sons of the Revolution Guard representing the Revolutionary War.
“This will launch the start of a “musical journey to our present Operation Enduring Freedom, featuring ‘Portrait of Freedom,’ ‘The Bells of Christmas,’ ‘Desert Storm Vanguard,’ and several other selections,” Bindrim explained.
A special tribute to Jack Mitchell will be included. Mitchell served as a drummer for the Jazz Band until his death last month. Dr. Jim Burns of Lee University will present a narrative during this musical presentation.
In April 2006, The Greater Cleveland Community Band came into existence and began regular rehearsals in the Cleveland High School Band room.
“The mission of the band is to provide the community with live community concert band entertainment while engaging adult musicians in lifelong musical fun, fellowship and learning,” the band director said. “The members of the band are many and varied from high school band members who joined to practice different music, to retired people who wanted to get the old horns out of the closet that haven’t been played since high school to lots of people in between.”
