Concert Band to Give Audience “A Seat at the Circus”

July 9, 2009 11:56:08

Posted By The Curator

During the late 19^th century and for much of the 20^th, certain days of the year were always circled in red. Of course, there was Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial and the Fourth of July, but almost equally important was the day that the circus came to town. From the arrival of the circus train through the parade, the matinee, the evening shows and on to reloading the circus back on its train, the entire community throbbed with excitement.

The Concert Band of Northwest Pennsylvania will endeavor to recreate those days with its concert, “A Seat at the Circus”. It will be presented as the opening concert of the Band’s 2009 Meadville series on Wednesday, July 15^th beginning at 7:00 pm in the back lawn of the Baldwin Reynolds House Museum. Parking will be available on the front lawn of the Museum. Should the weather not cooperate, the concert will be moved into the lobby of Shafer Auditorium on the campus of Allegheny College. The concert is free to the public and no reservations are needed. However, donations to the Band are always welcome. Audience members are asked to bring folding chairs or blankets for seating.

The concert will be divided into two parts. The first half will be a representation of what was called the Center Ring concert. The circus band would sit in the center ring of the circus while the crowd was assembling and play a concert of both classical and popular numbers to entertain the crowd. For many Americans, this was their introduction to more serious music. For this concert, the Band will be playing “Echoes from the Metropolitan Opera” as arranged by Theodore Moses Tobani. It includes excerpts from the music of such composers as Gounod, Wagner, Mascagni and Liszt. Representing the popular music of the day will be “Creole Belles” a ragtime number by J. Bodewalt Lampe.

After intermission, the Band will present a circus routine playing pieces as the circus used them during its acts. There will be music for clowns and elephants as well as horses, acrobats and aerialists. John Fleming, Director of the Concert Band of Northwest Pennsylvania said, “We were fortunate enough to see the cue sheet for the 1955 Tiger Act on the Clyde Beatty Circus. So we can play the music that was actually used in that act.”

“A Seat at the Circus” will be a musical treat for the entire family. The Concert Band of Northwest Pennsylvania hopes to see you there. For more information please call

814-734-4389.

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