Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-January 21, 2009 Issue

Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • January 21, 2009 Ridgewood ‘Thoughts of Summer’ to be performed in village On Friday, Feb. 6, 2009 at 8 p.m., the Ridgewood Concert Band, led by conductor and music director Christian Wilhjelm, will give a concert at West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 South Monroe Street in Ridgewood. The guest soloist will be Jason Ham, euphonium player for the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. Guest conductor will be Loras John Schissel, conductor of the Grand Military Band of Virginia and internationally renowned expert on the music of John Philip Sousa. Richard Summers, assistant conductor of the Ridgewood Concert Band will also conduct. Tickets will be available at the door. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, and $7 for students. Children 13 and younger will be admitted free with a paying adult. To purchase tickets online, or to receive more information, visit the Ridgewood Concert Band’s website www.ridgewoodband.org or call (201) 493-9030. Named “Thoughts of Summer,” this concert will create the musical atmosphere of a summer evening spent outdoors listening to an “old-time” band concert. There will be many selections by John Philip Sousa and music by John Mackey, Clifton Williams, Franz von Suppe, and Carl Friedman. Ham will give a premiere performance of “Summer 2008: Concerto for Euphonium, Winds, and Percussion” by David Gillingham. Dr. Gillingham is one of the great wind band composers. He writes music that is appealing to a broad audience, and is an excellent orchestrator of the music. Ham is looking forward to his performance with the Ridgewood Band. “Being in the West Point Band, and given the fact that there aren’t that many professional wind bands around New York, it’s not hard to run into the other wind bands in the tri-state area. The Ridgewood Band is one of the best-publicized wind bands anywhere, and it should be. They perform like a group that should be as publicized as they are. Chris (Conductor Christian Wilhjelm) is really a well-known name in the wind band world, not just for his ability as a conductor, but also because anyone who’s been paying attention to the Ridgewood Band knows that he really built that organization from the ground up.” Schissel is the music director and conductor of both the Virginia Grand Military Band and the Cleveland Orchestra’s Blossom Festival Band. He has traveled throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, conducting orchestras, bands, and choral ensembles in a broad range of musical styles and varied programs. As a composer and orchestrator, Schissel has created and extensive catalogue of over 400 works for orchestra, symphonic wind band, and jazz ensemble. His musical score for the PBS special, “Bill Moyers: America’s First River, The Hudson,” televised in 2002, received extensive coverage and acclaim. Schissel has appeared in the award-winning PBS documentary “If You Knew Sousa” for the “American Experience” series. He continues to serve as commentator on the Voice of America and for the U.S. Information Service. Schissel is an honorary member of the prestigious Circumnavigators Club and an honorary conductor of the historic Ringgold Band (the last band conducted by John Philip Sousa). He was recently inducted into the American Bandmasters Association. Assistant Conductor Summers has been principal clarinet of the Ridgewood Concert Band since the spring of 1989. He has been featured soloist several times. Originally from Wheeling, West Virginia, he was a member and soloist with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra while in high school. While attending University of Kentucky and majoring in music performance, he played with the Lexington Philharmonic. Summers became Sgt. Summers when he joined the USMA Band in West Point from 1972-75 on clarinet and alto saxophone, and then attended Juilliard and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance on clarinet. Summers began teaching in Kinnelon, NJ after receiving certification from William Paterson College. Four years later, he became the band director at Pequannock Township High School for the next 20 years. For the last four years, Summers has been band director at Pequannock Valley Middle School. He was clarinetist with The New Jersey Pops Orchestra and Concert Band and saxophonist with the NJ Pops Jazz Band. He continues to perform, conduct, and solo with many orchestras and bands in the tri-state area. Last summer, he played baritone saxophone several times in Aretha Franklin’s band. �� Rather than storing duplicate or not-quite-right gifts in the closet, Friends of Tennis for Life can use those new items to benefit the non-profit organizations activities for breast cancer survivors. Donated items will be incorporated into gift baskets used to raise funds at the annual TFL Tennis Party event to be held at the Ridgewood Racquet Club this April. Donations may be dropped off at Ridgewood Racquet Club, 249 Ackerman Avenue in Ridgewood at (201) 652-1991, or call Deb Henry at (201) 337-0031, program president, to arrange for pick up. Presented in cooperation with The Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, Tennis for Life offers the free clinics and organized play, all year, to introduce people with breast cancer to the many benefits tennis can bring to their physical and mental recovery. The goal of the program is to help breast cancer survivors regain their mobility, stamina and spirit while providing support, encouragement and motivation from fellow survivors. The Club Pro organizes the group on the courts and Ann Emmons and Kathleen Sullivan, member of the group, serves as coordinators and hosts. Tennis for Life™ is a non profit organization and is supported through tax deductible donations. For more information go to www.tennisforlife.org and call Debbie Henry at (201) 337-0031. Re-gifting appreciated ��