Why is this Annual March concert going to be so special???

140 years of sharing the music!

Every year we put on our March concert, and there's always great music. But there are some special and historic things happening this March that you don't want to miss!

1. This year marks our 140th anniversary!! The Famous Quakertown Band has been performing for 140 consecutive years!! So the music we've programmed is hand picked to celebrate this momentous occasion! You'll hear all kinds of music from the last 140 years. Music From Frederick Handel's opera Xerxes (1738) to John Mackey's contemporary Xerxes (in the 2010's). Marches, and broadway show music, and standard band literature... We're even playing excerpts from Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony! Musically, this will not be a free concert you can afford to miss!!

2. For the first time this century, The Famous Quakertown Band is introducing a new conductor! Long standing director (and accomplished music educator) Richard Karschner will be conducting the first half of the concert, and then he will ceremoniously "pass the baton" to our newly named music director, Joseph Santanello, who will conduct the second half. After a very full tenure as a performer, educator, clinician and music consultant, Richard Karschner very impressively dotted the i of his musical career with an 18 year stint as our music director. And now Richard is looking forward to travelling more, and enjoying this well-deserved phase of life as much as possible. Mr. Santanello is the Director of Bands at Strayer Middle School and the assistant band director at Quakertown High School, and even though he is not as "experienced" as Richard might be, he has a very impressive resume of musical accomplishments and accolades. He is a terrific musician (plays french horn), and somehow, an even better music teacher. In fact, he was just recently a semi-finalist in a national Music Educator of the Year contest. We're going to miss Mr. Karschner deeply... but we are certainly excited to have Mr. Santanello as the ship's new captain!

3. We always celebrate milestone anniversaries in the band at this concert, but this year has a very special one. This will be Maynard Cressman's 60th annual concert with the band!! His trumpet playing will be featured in a special arrangement of Trumpeter's Lullaby, one of his favorite pieces to perform from decades ago. Sixty years is an incredible amount of service to a volunteer organization, and we are so proud to be able to honor his accomplishments at this concert.

4. How's this for a first? We are very hopeful that PBS39 will be able to broadcast the concert live, so that all those who maybe can't get to the concert can still enjoy this musical event. Whether it's the many fans of our band who are elderly and it's not easy for them to physically get to our concert... or whether it's a mother of young children who wants to expose the young ones to great music without having to worry if they'll "behave" during the concert... it's a great way to share the music with our community! It will be a great broadcast I'm sure, but nothing compares to being there live. So if you CAN come out to the free concert you definitely should. But if you can't... this might be a new way you can still enjoy it.

When? Sunday, March 19th 2017, 1:30 pm

Where? Strayer Middle School, 1200 Ronald Regan Dr, Quakertown, PA 18951