April 15 2014
By Angelica Blenich
They have been in the business for more than 30 years and they’ve still got some tunes in them.
The five members of the Foothills Brass Quintet will be bringing their trombones tubas and other musical instruments to the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion on Saturday April 26. The show will be the first in this year’s Haliburton Concert Series with two more shows rounding out the program in September and October. The brass quintet originally came together in the early 1980s said Chris Morrison one of the founding members and its artistic director. The quintet is comprised of full-time musicians some of whom met through the Thunder Bay Symphony.
“It was easier than getting a job” said Morrison on working full-time in music. The group has changed over the years with members coming and going due to family commitments and other circumstances. However some who have left have come back the music drawing them back together. Morrison describes the quintet’s style as being varied sometimes playing gentle and blended compositions or imitating the sounds of a big band swing group or Dixieland.
The program for the Haliburton concert titled BrassScapes will feature New Orleans style songs a dueling trumpet tune Tumbling Tumbleweed and a medley of western movie themes. Apart from lively country and western music the quintet will delve into some jazz numbers performing the Miles Davis piece Donna Lee. For the classical lover the William Tell Overture will be included in the repertoire as well as Amazing Grace a Bach composition and some Latin beats.
Foothills Brass Quintet has toured throughout the entire country including the territories and internationally as far as Israel. “We really enjoy performing for people and feeling the interaction” said Morrison. “The advantage of a small group like this is you feel a personal interaction with the audience. For all of us that’s our favourite thing … creating a personal relationship with the music so it feels like we’re playing in your living room.
” The upcoming show will mark the group’s second performance at the theatre the first going back 13 years. “We’ve been up through that area quite a few times over the years” said Morrison. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
For information and to buy tickets contact Lorraine Semple at 705-455-9892 or June Smith at june.smith705@gmail.com. For more information on the HCS visit www.haliburtoncs.blogspot.ca.
