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
Chartwell Woodhaven Long Term Care, 380 Church Street
Here’s a link to our Nov 25 Flyer – Please promote and help fill the house!
201811 – A Seasonal Celebration
Message from Doug – Nov 20
Hi folks
Very good rehearsal last night. There’s still a few areas of concern, but we’ve got a great show in the making. Please continue to promote and encourage!
Several of us will be coming from the UTC rehearsal Sunday morning. Thanks in advance for those of you coming early for trailer unloading. If someone could keep watch on the stage and ensure that the setup provides room for the choir, that would be great. We’ll be heading back to Cornell for trailer unloading after the show.
Please be on stage ready to go for sound check at 12:45. Dress is all black. Feel free to bring festive accoutrements for Sleigh Ride. No need to bring a music stand. We’re making use of the projector and cyc again- I’m not expecting to need to dim the stage lighting significantly, but bringing a stand light might be useful for some of you.
Nov 26- two concerts worth of new music. A thousand thanks to Beth!
O Canada (Breen, conducted by Santa)
Xmas Swingin’
It’s the Holiday Season (with Yorkminstrels)
sing-along The First Nowell (with Yorkminstrels)
Button Up (euphs out front)
Sheep
Toy (Gord out front)
Walt Disney
Intermission
Angels
Twas the Night
Christmas on Broadway (with Yorkminstrels)
sing-along Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (with Yorkminstrels)
Nutcracker
Encore: Sleighride
Xmas Swingin’
It’s the Holiday Season (with Yorkminstrels)
sing-along The First Nowell (with Yorkminstrels)
Button Up (euphs out front)
Sheep
Toy (Gord out front)
Walt Disney
Intermission
Angels
Twas the Night
Christmas on Broadway (with Yorkminstrels)
sing-along Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (with Yorkminstrels)
Nutcracker
Encore: Sleighride
Message from Yuki – Nov 18
I would like to share some fun plans for our November show next Sunday:
– Selfie photo opportunities with Santa at the lobby during the intermission (thank you John for being our Santa)
– Santa is handing out treats bag to first 50 kids – any maybe some adults if we don’t have many kids – during the intermission (thank you all for sharing your Halloween treats)
– Chocolate tree is back for 50/50 prize (thank you Cathy Parry for making one)
I’ll be posting this information on our social media throughout the week, but feel free to share with your family/friends!
Middle section seats are selling out quickly – please encourage your family/friends to purchase ticket sooner so that they get better view! Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/mcb-nov18
Also, our Brass Quintet is performing at two libraries in Markham on this Saturday, Nov 24 to promote the Nov 25 show.
11:00 am at the Unionville Library
12:30 at the Angus Glen Library
It’s a 30 min kids friendly show and FREE! If you are around, please come and listen us.
Thank you all.
Yuki
Tribute to Milan from his wife Isobel Warren
Milan Paul Chvostek, science guru, music maker, woodworker, potter, painter, gadgeteer, photographer, videographer, husband, father, grandfather and beloved friend, died November 8, four days after a devastating stroke, four months after two other strokes from which he was valiantly fighting his way back to the fun and fulfilling life we shared for 65 years.
Milan was a gentle genius — modest, self-effacing and fun-loving. He saw his greatest achievements as his two children, Paul and Annabelle and adored their amazing partners, Ida and Ximena and their children, Tor and Lou. But his own achievements, which he often downplayed, were many and major.
The only son of immigrants who arrived from Czechoslovakia in 1930, he spoke only Slovak until he started school. He understood enough of numerous mid-European languages to ensure some topsy-turvy travel experiences during our lifetime of recreational travel and two decades as travel journalists. (He could ask for a toilet in 20 languages.)
His love affair with music began with the violin when he was five, moving on to string bass and percussion. He was principal percussionist in the Markham Concert Band for a couple of decades, a master of every percussion instrument known to man but a specialist on tympani. He often appeared with the Canadian Opera Company as an extra or a dancer, lent his fine baritone to Gilbert & Sullivan at St. Anne’s, and we sang constantly at home. Recently, he tackled bagpipes and hoped to join the excellent Guelph Pipe Band.
Milan’s CBC career began straight out of Ryerson as a techie and cameraman before transfer to production where he worked with Vincent Tovell on The Lively Arts and finally as a producer on The Nature of Things. His impeccably researched and crafted science programs won numerous national and international awards. His next step was a professorship at Seneca College where he shared his vast knowledge of TV with countless classes of future broadcasters in the School of Communication Arts.
After ‘retirement’, we embarked on our travel writing vocation, producing two self-published travel guides, a couple of Fodor Travel Guides, and bazillions of articles (his photos, my words) for Canadian and U.S. publications, including The Toronto Star, The Globe, Good Times and many more. We also enjoyed two summer programs at Oxford University in England, soaking up the atmosphere and the wisdom of that holy place.
We lived in Toronto except for a three-year secondment to Montreal during Expo ’67, moved to Guelph in 2016. Wherever he lived, Milan was a friendly, helpful, creative fixer-upper who loved to putter. Essentially an artist, he worked in clay, stained glass, wood, oils and junque.
Milan leaves us with incredible memories of happy and often hilarious family times, rich musical experiences, adventurous travel, some truly peculiar culinary experiments, a collection of red plaid shirts (his Timiskaming tuxedo) and an indelible legacy of one man’s love and devotion.
—-
At his request, reflecting his respect and support for science, Milan’s body was donated to scientific research at The University of Toronto Medical School. There will be no funeral, but the family is creating a memorial service at a later date.
Milan was a gentle genius — modest, self-effacing and fun-loving. He saw his greatest achievements as his two children, Paul and Annabelle and adored their amazing partners, Ida and Ximena and their children, Tor and Lou. But his own achievements, which he often downplayed, were many and major.
The only son of immigrants who arrived from Czechoslovakia in 1930, he spoke only Slovak until he started school. He understood enough of numerous mid-European languages to ensure some topsy-turvy travel experiences during our lifetime of recreational travel and two decades as travel journalists. (He could ask for a toilet in 20 languages.)
His love affair with music began with the violin when he was five, moving on to string bass and percussion. He was principal percussionist in the Markham Concert Band for a couple of decades, a master of every percussion instrument known to man but a specialist on tympani. He often appeared with the Canadian Opera Company as an extra or a dancer, lent his fine baritone to Gilbert & Sullivan at St. Anne’s, and we sang constantly at home. Recently, he tackled bagpipes and hoped to join the excellent Guelph Pipe Band.
Milan’s CBC career began straight out of Ryerson as a techie and cameraman before transfer to production where he worked with Vincent Tovell on The Lively Arts and finally as a producer on The Nature of Things. His impeccably researched and crafted science programs won numerous national and international awards. His next step was a professorship at Seneca College where he shared his vast knowledge of TV with countless classes of future broadcasters in the School of Communication Arts.
After ‘retirement’, we embarked on our travel writing vocation, producing two self-published travel guides, a couple of Fodor Travel Guides, and bazillions of articles (his photos, my words) for Canadian and U.S. publications, including The Toronto Star, The Globe, Good Times and many more. We also enjoyed two summer programs at Oxford University in England, soaking up the atmosphere and the wisdom of that holy place.
We lived in Toronto except for a three-year secondment to Montreal during Expo ’67, moved to Guelph in 2016. Wherever he lived, Milan was a friendly, helpful, creative fixer-upper who loved to putter. Essentially an artist, he worked in clay, stained glass, wood, oils and junque.
Milan leaves us with incredible memories of happy and often hilarious family times, rich musical experiences, adventurous travel, some truly peculiar culinary experiments, a collection of red plaid shirts (his Timiskaming tuxedo) and an indelible legacy of one man’s love and devotion.
—-
At his request, reflecting his respect and support for science, Milan’s body was donated to scientific research at The University of Toronto Medical School. There will be no funeral, but the family is creating a memorial service at a later date.
Confirmed gigs for 2018 – 2019:
Sunday Nov. 25: Markham Theatre, 2 pm
Sunday March 3, Markham Theatre, 2pm
Sunday May 5, Markham Theatre, 2 pm.
Sunday March 3, Markham Theatre, 2pm
Sunday May 5, Markham Theatre, 2 pm.
Date to be confirmed- Music Alive festival, sometime around April.
We’re continuing to investigate a warm-up gig on each Saturday before each theatre show, and extra Christmas shows, hopefully on Monday nights in December.
I received a nice note from our former bassist Joanne Pyke. She’s enjoying keeping track of our adventures through social media. Joanne recommends the blogs and courses of Noa Kageyama- “the Bulletproof Musician”- which deal with improving your performing skills.
The site wants your email address, and markets an on-line course. I’m not familiar with the site, and there’s not a lot available from independent reviews. If anyone signs up, please share your experiences.
Dennis (sax) has a couple saxes available for purchase:
I have two saxes for sale, an Alto and a Bari. Of course they are Czech made Amatis. Here are the Kijiji listings.
https://www.kijiji..ca/v-woodwind/oshawa-durham-region/amati-abs21-baritone-sax/1389456639
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1389464940
If you know anybody interested I would appreciate you letting them know. Upon sale, I would make a donation to MCB.
Due to a shoulder injury, Kathy Devine (plays in the North Toronto Community Band) has decided to downsize to a 3/4 Tuba. I Cc’d Kathy here. Kathy’s interested in selling her full size Jupiter Silver, 4 Valve. Purchased new in 2006, value was $6,000 at the time, now asking $2,000 (negotiable).
If you’re interested, please email Danny Wilks at wilkstrom@hotmail.com
