Photo: FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton, taken by Cameron Wilkinson
The Milton Concert Band is inviting you to enjoy a fantastic performance this spring.
Titled Canadian Music Eh!, it’ll feature music that is entirely Canadian, with a number of guest composers joining the ensemble for a night of patriotic listening.
Conductor of the Milton Concert Band, Gary Martin, shares what attendees can expect!
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There will be a trio of guest conductors at the concert, including the founding conductor of the Milton Concert Band Joe Resendes. Joining Martin and Resendes on stage will be Canadian composers Vince Gassi and John Herberman.
Much sought after in the music world as both a composer and teacher, Gassi will be on-hand for his piece, Oak Island Odyssey.
Many people will know Herberman as the writer for the current theme music for Hockey Night in Canada. He’ll be there for his piece, The Fisher Who Died in His Bed.
As for Resendes, he helped found the Milton Concert Band around 17 years ago. For this show, he’s been commissioned for a piece called Only One, dedicated to a member of the band.
Speaking about the concert, Martin adds that he’ll have his own original piece performed live. True North Strong and Free was first created in 2017 for the 150th anniversary of Canada, and fits perfectly with the patriotic theme of the show. Martin says they’ve been planning this concert for quite some time, and they’re appreciative for the well-timed sudden burst of national pride in the community.
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He first joined the Milton Concert Band right before the pandemic, but his music career dates back a lot further than that. He recalls moving to Toronto when he was young and learning how to play the violin. Martin then transitioned to playing the saxophone, and that helped spur a lifelong love of music.
You can hear from Martin and the other guest composers, along with the roughly 50 musicians on stage, on Saturday, April 26th, starting at 7:00 p.m. It’s taking place at the FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton in the Mattamy Theatre, located at 101 Main Street East in Milton.
For tickets, click here or visit the Chudleigh’s Box Office at the FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton.
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If you’d like to get ahold of me personally, shoot me a message at Cameron.Wilkinson@LocalRadio.ca. We’re in the business of content creation, so no idea is a bad idea.
