June 19, 2019 - Many communities offer opportunities throughout the year to enjoy quality musical performances. One such opportunity is to enjoy a rendition by local musicians playing in community concert bands. Community concert bands are all-volunteer, non-profit organizations created to share the gift of music with an entire community.
In our Sierra foothill region of Madera and Mariposa counties, the Oakhurst Community Concert Band performs season-appropriate concerts suitable for audiences of all ages. Director Michael Corrigan leads a diverse group of mixed ages and talents, from accomplished junior high school student musicians to adult professionals. All members of the band are residents of Madera and Mariposa counties, and many have once again taken up their instruments after years or decades of being away from performance stages.
Founded in 1993, the band is directed by Michael Corrigan. Mike has been an instrumental music educator in California for forty-five years. His resume includes teaching and conducting assignments for the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, Mater Dei High School, Yosemite High School, Clovis High School, Aliso Niguel High School, Santa Monica High School, and in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District. He also directed the Santa Monica College Emeritus Concert Band.
Mike’s groups have consistently received unanimous superior ratings in local, regional, national, and even international festivals. His bands and orchestras have received “Unanimous Gold” recognition at Carnegie Hall (New York City) and the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), and he is frequently called to guest conduct select honor groups.
OCCB concerts are traditionally performed three times each year, and the next concert will be on Sunday, June 23, 2019, at Mountain Christian Center in Oakhurst, beginning at 3 pm. Army Chaplin, Colonel Steven Eddy, Ret. returns as our guest emcee, and four recent Yosemite High School graduates have returned from college to play with us: Jamie Hellwig, bassoon, Kelsey Montalto and Aubree Walle, alto sax, and Emily Anderson, trombone.
In keeping with the concert theme of “Celebrate Our Community with Music,” our concert will feature marches such as "The Klaxon" by Henry Fillmore, "National Emblem" by E.E Bagley, and "The Center Ring" by Karl King. John Philip Sousa will be represented with our encore, "Stars and Stripes Forever," featuring Yosemite High School student, Ava Miller, on piccolo.
In recognition of the firefighter and first responder heroes in our communities, the program includes music from "Aladdin" and "The Avengers," stories of superheroes unrecognized until called to duty during times of disaster. The OCCB Jazz Band will perform several favorites, including "I Remember You" with vocalist Mary Posluch and "God Bless the U.S.A.” with Josef Lukan as vocalist. The concert closes with "Arlington" (a tribute to American servicewomen and men buried at our National Cemetery) and our traditional "Armed Forces Medley."
What will the entrance fee be? Nothing, it is absolutely FREE!
When: Sunday, June 23, 2019, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Mountain Christian Center, 40299 CA-49, Oakhurst, CA 93644
Who: Oakhurst Community Concert Band
Entrance fee: FREE!
For further information call: (559) 760-3849
Source: Oakhurst Community Concert Band
