WMS low brass section steps out of the orchestra and into The Block for kaleidoscopic concert

Muskegon, Michigan, March 14, 2023— Low brass is the term for a special alloy of copper and zinc—but in this case it also refers to the trombone and tuba section of the WMS. The WMS Low Brass section— principal trombone Edward “Kip” Hickman, principal tuba Clinton McCanless and trombonists Joe Radtke and Evan Clifton—will step out of the back row and into the spotlight for a concert of music encompassing over 400 years, including Gabrieli, Beethoven and Debussy and introducing music by 25-year-old composer Kevin Day. The concert will be held at The Block at 7:30pm on Saturday, March 25.

The program will span Baroque, Classical, Impressionist, and Contemporary music. Kip Hickman’s own arrangement of Gabrieli’s, Canzona per sonare No. 2 represents the Baroque period, while Beethoven’s Drei Equali (Three Equals) for trombones is from the Classical era. Impressionism is exemplified by Debussy, including Michael Levin’s arrangement of Trois Chansons and Pierre Beaudry’s arrangement of The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.  More recent compositions include Henri Tomasi’s 1963 Etre ou ne pas Etre (“To be or not to be”),Jeffrey Reynolds’ 1990 Skirmish and Dance and Kevin Day’s 2020 Ignition. The program will also include Bill Reichenbach’s setting of the traditional “Scarborough Fair” and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “No More Blues,” arranged by Kim Scharnberg.

 Single tickets are priced at $48 for table seats, $32 for floor seats and, $10 for students with ID. To order, visit www.TheBlockWestMichigan.org or in person at The Block, 360 W. Western Avenue, Muskegon.