City Band prepared for annual concert
Spectators at Tuesday’s Tonganoxie Community Band Concert might think momentarily that they’re at the Oscars or the Tony Awards.
The concert, scheduled for 7 p.m. at VFW Park in Tonganoxie, will include a wide range of music from movies and Broadway productions.
We’re really featuring all kinds of music from different genres,” said director Charles VanMiddlesworth II. “We’ve got music from the 80s.”
The band also is doing a piece called “Chillers and Thrillers,” which include stheme music from such movies as “Jaws” and “Star Wars.”
In addition, the band will perform jazz numbers in the form of some Cole Porter music, and then jump into yet another genre with “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band.
VanMiddlesworth, better known as Mr. Van, will be a guest soloist for the Charlie Daniels song. He will play the alto saxophone.
The band has been practicing weekly this month, with its final practice earlier this week.
“There are people who can’t make certain weeks,” VanMiddlesworth said. “When we’re at our strength we’re at about 30.”
According to VanMiddlesworth, the band has attracted musicians from McLouth and Bonner Springs, as well as Tonganoxie. And, there are many new faces for this year’s concert.
“They’ve been going really well,” VanMiddlesworth said. “I would say we have more difficult music, more challenging music.”
But the area musicians seem up to the challenge.
“I pulled out some hard stuff,” VanMiddlesworth said. “And everybody really seems to love it and they’re having a great time.”
Festivities begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday with the Tonganoxie schools Vocal and Instrumental Performers Booster Club selling hot dogs, hamburgers, pop and water.
Proceeds from the food sales will go toward music students in the Tonganoxie School District.
Concertgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for the performance.