Signing up for our members-only email list
The Band has a private email list which we use for updates on concert cancellations, upcoming events, and rehearsal playlists. To receive these important messages you must sign up by sending an e-mail to mcband-subscribe@yahoogroups.com telling us your name and which section you’re in. (Already signed up? Click HERE to be transferred to the group login page.)
Percussion equipment moving roster
The current version of the roster for moving percussion is available here.
Loaner Instrument Policy
The current version of MCB’s policy on its loaner instruments is available here.
Maps for our shows
Click ‘view larger map’ on a particular map to go to a full-sized one where you can also get directions to the concert.
Flato Markham Theatre
Markham Fair
Markham Village Festival (Main St Markham and Robinson)
Orillia Aqua Theatre
RAIN LOCATION for Orillia
Details in the event of rain for Orillia
Doors to the Opera House will only be open at 5:30pm for load in. Band members can enter via the elevator entrance or front door. The elevator entrance is through the double doors – with windows – toward the back of the Opera House, directly across from the Library entrance in the parking lot.
From the elevator, the stage is on the 3rd floor. From the front entrance or ground floor, the stage is on the 1st floor (meaning up the stairs and through the double doors).
Unionville Millennium Bandstand
Message from Doug
Playlists for July 23, July 30, August 5, and August 26
I hope everyone is enjoying the brief off-season for MCB rehearsals. The Concert Sunday series participants have been great so far – congrats to Annamaria (conductor of Columbus) and our various MCB members that participate in the other bands. Still to come:
July 15: TYWO Summer Winds
July 22: Thornhill Community Band
July 29: Rouge River Winds
August 5: Markham Concert Band
All shows are from 7 – 9 pm. Drop in and bring a friend. Studies show that attending a concert every two weeks will lower your heart rate and add nine years to your life.
Rehearsals resume on Monday, July 23, and our summer/fall/theatre gig dates are:
Sunday August 5: Sunday Concert Series, Unionville Bandstand, 7 – 9 pm
Sunday August 26: Orillia Aquatheatre, picnic at 4:30 pm, concert 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Saturday Sept. 29: Markham Fair, likely 5 – 6 pm
Sunday Oct. 14: Markham Theatre, 2 pm
Sunday Nov. 25: Markham Theatre, 2 pm
Sunday March 3, Markham Theatre, 2pm
Sunday May 5, Markham Theatre, 2 pm.
I’ll be entering our band in a music festival – likely York Region’s Music Alive, with a participation date in March, April, or early May. Also expect to see retirement home gigs the day before our theatre shows, and likely an extra gig or two – hopefully on a Monday night- in December.
Our July 23 rehearsal will be a combination of starting to polish some new charts and reviewing some summer pieces:
Military Songs
Eubie
Flight of the Piasa
Bob S.
12 Seconds (bar 129 – end)
Barry M
Sinatra
21st C
Disney Villains
And finally, here’s the playlist for the Aug. 5 and Aug. 26 gigs:
Lion King
Funiculi
Eubie
Deep Purple
Chicago
Jersey Boys
Grease
Invercargill
Time Warp (with Tristan and Khalil)
Rolling Stones
Happy
Bob. S (with Khalil)
Danny Boy (only for Orillia, not for Unionville)
Barry M
Sinatra
21st Century (with Tristan)
Instant Concert
Regards,
Doug
The 12 Seconds Project
Hi folks
I thought it might be helpful to bring everyone up to date on my plans for Twelve Seconds to the Moon. I understand that it’s a challenging piece, both technically and musically. But I think that with the accompanying artwork, it will be be a highlight of the show.
As you know, Twelve Seconds is a piece of program music telling the history of flight. Katarina Stewart, a recent Nipissing University graduate, has agreed to provide sketches to illustrate the story. We’ll use a PowerPoint presentation as we perform.
I sent Kat the following outline, drawn from the composer’s notes and my own thoughts:
Listening Guide to “Twelve Seconds to the Moon”
Big picture: this Robert W. Smith band composition is described by the composer as “a celebration of man’s conquest of the sky and heavens above”. Elements of the piece include a representation of the Wright Brother’s first manned flight- which lasted twelve seconds- and the lift-off of the first manned ship to the moon.
Here’s a time-stamped set of the various sections of this piece. Most of the imagery is mine, so feel free to use, modify or ignore as you see fit.
0:00 Solo horn. Perhaps p.o.v. on Earth’s moon, with Earth filling the sky
0:35 Hymn of Flight. Caveman sitting on a cliff edge, his feet dangling over the edge, watching birds of prey soar in the wind currents. Changes to our caveman standing with his arms extended, wondering if he could learn to fly.
1:44 Here’s the hustle and bustle of the 1969 Kennedy Space Centre, pre-launch. Various shots might include exterior panoramas of Apollo 11 on the launch pad, and long shots of vehicles and people rushing around.
3:26 Closeup on people in the Kennedy Space Centre- scientists with test tubes and bubbling beakers developing fuel, and rows of people at video screens.
4:40 Travelling back in time to the Wright Bros. workshop, 1903. Two men toiling quietly, constructing a device that will make the first powered flight. At the end of this section, the final hammer stroke is made, and they are ready to try their first flight.
7:30 Pushing the vehicle out to the testing grounds, faster and faster, excitement is building.
8:33 Airborne- for twelve seconds! Perhaps a bird looks in, shocked to see that its space is now shared by man.
8:57 A celebration of success- the two brothers, standing with their arms around each other’s shoulders, gazing into the heavens.
9:58 Back to 1969, just before launch. Lots of busy people.
11:01 The launch of Apollo 11. Perhaps captured a few meters off the ground, lots of smoke and fire.
11:32 Outer space- success!
12:05 Landing on the moon. Perhaps the “one small step” moment.
13:18 A final image to leave the audience smiling- perhaps our caveman from the beginning has glued bird feathers to himself and he’s madly flapping his wings.
Kat responded with a very ambitious plan to provide 60 – 70 illustrations! She says, “I’m going to have a lot of fun with this. My plan is to make it scientifically accurate but in a fun and whimsical way which I think the entire audience, young or old will enjoy.”
So, if you’re not excited about performing Twelve Seconds to the Moon yet, consider playing the mp3 and read the timestamps to imagine what might be coming from Katarina.
Regards.
Doug
