Solano Winds Set to Enliven Fairfield with Holiday Music Gala

The festive season is incomplete without the accompaniment of music, which has been a cornerstone of Christmas celebration since the early days of the holiday's inception.

This year, the Solano Winds community concert band is eagerly preparing to uphold a cherished tradition. They're slated to perform an evening brimming with holiday classics at the Downtown Theatre in Fairfield.

An Ensemble of Holiday Favorites

Under the baton of Music Director Bill Doherty, the musical lineup is particularly diverse. The evening's repertoire includes three Christmas medleys featuring a total of 20 beloved carols. To honor the Hanukkah tradition, listeners will be treated to a fresh take on some Hanukkah melodies. Classic band compositions will also resound alongside pieces inspired by the famous composer John Philip Sousa, renowned for his rousing military marches.

The concert will commence with 'A Most Wonderful Christmas,' a compilation of contemporary holiday melodies arranged by Robert Sheldon. Then, spotlighting the band's brass section, 'Fairest of the Fair' by Sousa will be performed, showcasing one of his more melodious creations.

Further celebrating Sousa's influence, the full band will present 'Symphony on Themes of John Philip Sousa' by Ira Hearshen, featuring echoes of Sousa's style throughout.

Then comes a moment of reflection with 'Elegy for a Young American' by Ronald Lo Presti, commemorating the 60^th year since President Kennedy's assassination — a pivotal point in American history.

From Blues to Broadway

The first segment of the program concludes with a birthday tribute to W. C. Handy, marking what would have been his 150^th birthday, through the band's rendition of 'St. Louis Blues March.' This piece is heavily influenced by the rendition made famous by the Glenn Miller Big Band in the 1940s.

After an intermission filled with festive shopping opportunities, the latter half of the concert resumes with 'Russian Christmas Music' by Alfred Reed, followed by a high-energy rendition of 'Dreidel Dance.' The latter is a mashup of Hanukkah tunes promising to energize the audience.

Adding to the evening's Broadway glamour, the band will perform 'Christmas on Broadway,' followed by 'A Christmas Festival' by Leroy Anderson, concluding the night with a compilation of timeless Christmas melodies.

Attendees are also invited to join the City of Fairfield's Tree Lighting event before the concert, creating a full evening of holiday festivities.

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