2021 Season Closing Remarks

 The Chemical City Band (CCB) closed its 112th Season with a concert on July 28 at the Nicholson-Guenther Community Band Shell in Midland's Central Park.  With cooperating weather, we were able to hold all 7 rehearsals and perform 7 concerts outdoors this year.  We consistently had large and appreciative audiences, setting an all time record on June 30 for cash/coin donations in the drum shells.  On another occasion we received a significant number of Canadian coins which were exchanged for equivalent US currency.

Although our nation continues to struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chemical City Band returned to almost normal operations this summer.  Those few unvaccinated musicians (mostly younger folks) were asked to wear a mask upon arriving and departing the stage.  The average number of players per performance was back up to 48 (39 in 2020), drawing from a total of 69 musicians this year.  Our ages ranged from 14 to 83.  19 dedicated musicians played all 7 concerts.

The CCB has a 6 member Board of Directors, who are also members of the band:

Richard S. Harner, president

Susan Gessford, vice-president

Gaye Terwillegar, secretary

Richard L. Scott, treasurer

Steve DeRees, music director

Mara Stewart, publicity director

In addition to contributions from the general public, the Board would like to acknowledge financial support from The Alden and Vada Dow Family Foundation and The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation.  The CCB also participated in the Give Local Midland, a one-day fund raiser in May, sponsored by the Midland Area Community Foundation.  Contributions to our endowment fund can be made at any time to the MACF by indicating the Chemical City Band long term investment fund #545.

2021 Roster (in alphabetical order):

Eric Attard

Dean Bard

Nicholas Bloom

Tom Broka

Nicki Bruski

Meg Carlsen

Tom Coon

Susan Cuddie-Stephens

Ben Dawley

Tina Delong

Steve DeRees

Kaitlin DeRees

Ethan Dotson

Max Doty

Ryan Egeler

Richard Enszer

Joey Essenmacher

Adrienne Feige

Amy Folkenroth

Jason Folkenroth

Lucas Foote

Anna Gessford

Dave Gessford

Stephanie Gessford

Sue Gessford

Anne Halls

Richard Harner

Brady Havens

Wendy Hohmeyer

Irene Kline

Katelynn Kosar

John Kostoff

Andrew Kowalski

Jim Lile

Hannah Loiselle

Laura Maiers

Mattie Midkiff

Rachel Morr

T.J. Neuenfeldt

Jim Pawloski

Ryan Petersen

Tom Peterson

Kevin Rash

Nicole Rausch

Andrew Reed

Tom Rice

Samuel Ringgold

Stanford Rowe

Tom Ryden

Dick Scott

Kerry Smith

Nathan Snyder

Roger Stevens

Mara Stewart

Andrew Taylor

Justin Taylor

Emilia Teed

Paul Teed

Gaye Terwillegar

Beth Thomas

Matthew Thomas

Yuki Togashi

Justin Walker

Lindsay Walker

Karen Welser

Roger Welser

Jeanne Wiest

Joel Wiseman

Jacob Wisenbach

Mackenzie Zdrojewski

Week 7 - July 28 Concert

 The Chemical City Band will perform its seventh concert of the 112th Season on July 28, 2021 at the Nicholson-Guenther Community Band Shell in Midland's Central Park, starting at 7:30 PM.  In case of rain, the concert is cancelled because we have no alternate performance site.  Please check this blog or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/chemicalcityband) for last minute instructions, if necessary.

Eric Attard will be our guest conductor, while Steve DeRees takes a position in the tuba section.  The following pieces will be presented:

Williamsburg Overture..................................................................................James Swearingen

The Homefront: Musical Memories from World War II.........................arr. James Christensen

Air for Band.....................................................................................................Frank Erickson

Bombasto.............................................................................Orion R. Farrar, arr. J. Edmondson

Intermission

The High School Cadets March.........................................................................John Philip Sousa

The Marriage of Figaro Overture...................................Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, arr. E. Slocum

Over the Rainbow...................................................Edgar Harburg and Harold Arlen, arr. J. Brubaker

Bravada Esprit..........................................................................................................David Shaffer

Barnum and Bailey's Favorite March..................................................Karl L. King, arr. G.C. Bainum

America, the Beautiful..................................................................Samuel F. Ward, arr. A.F. Gaylord

The Star-Spangled Banner.......................................................John Stafford Smith, arr. A.F. Gaylord

Historical photo courtesy of the Alden B. Dow Archives

Week 6 - July 21 Concert

 The Chemical City Band will perform its sixth concert of our 112th Season on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at the Nicholson-Guenther Community Band Shell in Midland's Central Park, starting at 7:30 PM.  In case of rain, the concert is cancelled because we have no alternate performance site.  Please check this blog or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/chemicalcityband) for last minute instructions, if necessary.

Steve DeRees will conduct the following selections:

Folk Song Suite for Military Band........................................................Ralph Vaughan Williams

1. March "Seventeen Come Sunday"
2. Intermezzo "My Bonny Boy"
3. March "Folk Songs from Somerset"

Michel Legrand in Concert.............Michel Legrand and Marilyn & Alan Bergman, arr. I. Polster

Call to Victory March....................................................................Karl L. King, arr. J. Swearingen

Intermission

Spirit!.....................................................................................................................Douglas Akey

What a Wonderful World..................................George Weiss and Bob Thiele, arr. B. Lowden

Malaguena..............................................................................Ernesto Lecuona, arr. S. Nestico

The Gladiator March......................................................................................John Philip Sousa

America, the Beautiful............................................................Samuel F. Ward, arr. A.F. Gaylord

The Star-Spangled Banner...............................................John Stafford Smith, arr. A.F. Gaylord

Week 5 - July 14 Concert

The Chemical City Band will perform its fifth concert of our 112th Season on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at the Nicholson-Guenther Community Band Shell in Midland's Central Park, starting at 7:30 PM.  In case of rain, the concert is cancelled because we have no alternate performance site.  Please check this blog or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/chemicalcityband) for last minute instructions, if necessary.

Steve DeRees will conduct the following selections:

Carnegie Anthem........................................................................................................William Owens

Overture to "Candide"..........................................................Leonard Bernstein, trans. C. Grundman

Music from "Braveheart"......................................................................James Horner, arr. J. Vinson

Heat Lightning March.........................................................................................Richard W, Bowles

Intermission

Impact................................................................................................................Randall D. Standridge

Music from "The Lion King".....................................................................................arr. John Higgins

Incantations...............................................................................................................Robert W. Smith

Who's Who in Navy Blue...................................................................John Philip Sousa, ed. F. Byrne

America, the Beautiful......................................................................Samuel F. Ward, arr. A.F. Gaylord

The Star-Spangled Banner........................................................John Stafford Smith, arr. A.F. Gaylord

CCB Rehearsal

Week 4 - July 7 Concert

 The Chemical City Band will perform its fourth concert of our 112th Season on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at the Nicholson-Guenther Community Band Shell in Midland's Central Park, starting at 7:30 PM.  In case of rain, the concert is cancelled because we have no alternate performance site.  Please check this blog or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/chemicalcityband) for last minute instructions, if necessary.

Steve DeRees will conduct the following selections:

The Original Thirteen, Concert March............................................William Billings, arr. J.D. Ployhar

American Salute........................................................................Morton Gould, trans. P.J. Lang

Holiday for Flutes............................................................................David Rose, arr. J. Warrington

The Liberty Bell March...........................................................John Philip Sousa, ed. W.D. Revelli

Intermission

Freedom Forever March.................................................................................Dana F. Everson

The Trombone Rag...........................................................................................John Higgins

Salute to America's Finest..........................................................................arr. Paul Lavender

America, the Beautiful..........................................Samuel Augustus Ward, arr. Carmen Dragon

The Stars and Stripes Forever.......................................................................John Philip Sousa

The Star-Spangled Banner............................................John Stafford Smith, arr. A.F. Gaylord

CCB Flutes

CCB Trombones

Week 3 - June 30 Concert

The Chemical City Band will perform its third concert of our 112th Season on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at the Nicholson-Guenther Community Band Shell in Midland's Central Park, starting at 7:30 PM.  In case of rain, the concert is cancelled because we have no alternate performance site.  Please check this blog or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/chemicalcityband) for last minute instructions, if necessary.

Steve DeRees will conduct the following selections:

Hail Miami! March..........................................................................Joseph John Richards

Big Sky Overture........................................................................................Philip Sparke

Second Suite in F for Military Band...............................Gustav Holst, ed. C. Matthews

1. March
2. Song Without Words
3. Song of the Blacksmith
4. Fantasia on the "Dargason"

Intermission

The U.S. Field Artillery March......................................John Philip Sousa, arr. M.L. Lake

Adagio for Winds.....................................................................................Larry Daehn

Revolutionary Anthem............................................................................Douglas Court

The Stars and Stripes Forever........................................................John Philip Sousa

America, the Beautiful..............................................Samuel F. Ward, arr. A.F. Gaylord

The Star-Spangled Banner.................................John Stafford Smith, arr. A.F. Gaylord

                                                   

John Philip Sousa

Gustav Holst

Week 2 - June 23 Concert

The Chemical City Band will perform its second concert of the 2021 season on Wednesday, June 23 at the Nicholson-Guenther Community Band Shell in Midland's Central Park, starting at 7:30 PM.  In case of rain, the concert is cancelled because we have no alternate performance site.  Please check this blog or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/chemicalcityband) for last minute instructions, if necessary.

Steve DeRees returns as our regular conductor this summer.  The following selections will be presented:

The Symphonic Beatles.............................John Lennon & Paul McCartney, arr. J. Cacavas

Spring Lake Overture................................................................................William Ballenger

The Seventies.................................................................arr. Paul Jennings & Paul Lavender

Manhattan Beach March....................................John Philip Sousa, arr. K. Brion & L. Schissel

Short Intermission

Music from "The Sting"...................................................................................arr. J. Cacavas

King Cotton March.............................................................John Philip Sousa, ed. F. Fennell

Music from "Braveheart"......................................................James Horner, arr. J. Vinson

On the Wings of the Chosen (Movement III)..............................................Roland Barrett

America, the Beautiful...........................................................Samuel F. Ward, arr. A.F. Gaylord

The Star-Spangled Banner............................................John Stafford Smith, arr. A.F. Gaylord

Week 1 - June 16 Concert

The Chemical City Band will perform its first concert of the 2021 season on Wednesday, June 16 at the Nicholson-Guenther Community Band Shell in Midland's Central Park, starting at 7:30 PM.  In case of rain, the concert is cancelled, because we have no alternate performance site.  The band is back to its pre-Covid configuration, with 50 musicians and normal spacing.  However, there will be only a short intermission to minimize the spread of the virus and its variants among unvaccinated individuals.

Tom Broka is our guest conductor this evening.  The following selections will be presented:

Alamo March...............................................................................Karl L. King, arr. J. Swearingen

Symphonic Prelude...............................................................................................John Cacavas

The Green Leaves of Summer......Dimitri Tiomkin & Paul Francis Webster, arr. C. Paul Herfurth

Wyoming Portrait...............................................................................................David L. Wells

The Fairest of the Fair...................................................John Philip Sousa, ed. Frederick Fennell

Short Intermission

Love Will Keep Us Together.....................Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, arr. Bob Lowden

Dixieland Revue................................................................................................arr. Eric Osterling

Majestica.......................................................................................................James Swearingen

March "The Southerner"..........................................Russell Alexander, arr. Glenn Cliffe Bainum

America, the Beautiful..............................................................Samuel F. Ward, arr. A.F. Gaylord

The Star-Spangled Banner.................................................John Stafford Smith, arr. A.F. Gaylord

2021 Season Opening Remarks

The first rehearsal and performance of the Chemical City Band for the 2021 season will occur next week.  Due to easing of restrictions by the State of Michigan with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors has approved the following:

• Masks will be optional for all band members who have been fully vaccinated with one of the CDC approved vaccines.
• Instrument bell covers will be optional as well.
• Any member without full vaccination will wear a mask to protect those at risk for acquiring and transmitting the virus.
• The band will be back to full strength (50) at most performances.
• Chairs will be set closer than previous 6 foot social distancing to accommodate all musicians in the band shell.
• The concert, again this year, will proceed without an intermission to minimize direct contact with the audience.

We have 7 Wednesday evening concerts (starting @ 7:30 pm) scheduled as follows:

2021 CCB Concert Dates

June 16

June 23

June 30

July 7

July 14

July 21

July 28

Monday rehearsals will start at 7 PM sharp.  Please arrive early to setup and warmup your instrument.  In case of rain, the rehearsal will be postponed until Wednesday just before the concert.  Further details will be discussed at the first rehearsal and concert updates sent via Facebook, SignUp Genius, and this blog.

Parking is suggested in the lot on Collins Street.  The lot behind the Community Center (over the hill) is not available this summer due to the Central Park modifications in progress.

On May 4th the Chemical City Band participated once again in the Give Local Midland campaign, sponsored by the Midland Area Community Foundation.  A total of $1,989.82 was received ($1,670 in donations and $319.82 in matching funds from the MACF).  Many thanks to all who called in to this one day event.

The Chemical City Band is a non-profit (501c3) musical organization.  Cash/check donations can be made during the concerts in one of the two snare drums (heads removed), or sent directly to 5709 Tiffany Lane, Midland, MI  48642.  Alternatively, donations toward our long term investment fund can be made to the Midland Area Community Foundation, 76 Ashman Circle, Midland, MI  48640.  Checks/grants should indicate the "Chemical City Band Endowment Fund #545".