With a playlist covering everything from pops to "Pops," the Nebraska Brass blow into Trinity United Methodist Church at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night for the third of their 2012 Nebraska Brass and Friends concert series and their first-ever appearance in Ralston.
"We're looking forward to it," said Dean Haist, a trumpet player with the ensemble. "This is a venue we've never played before and we think we've put together some music that will have a little something for everyone."
Among other genres, the quintet will move through popular marches, renderings of Renaissance transcriptions and Dixieland and jazz selections including "Struttin' With Some Barbecue," a composition made famous by the great jazz trumpeter Louis "Pops" Armstrong.
Haist said the first part of the concert will be a more "serious" treatment of the music, but in the second half, the ensemble will encourage the audience to get into the performance.
With music from such an array of composers and arrangers as Aaron Copland, Eric Ewazen and William Byrd, Haist said the quintet is eager to show that they do indeed have plenty in their sheafs for a variety of musical tastes.
A piece written exclusively for the the quintet by Gwyneth Walker, "Raise the Roof," is going to be especially good fun.
"We want to see some hand clapping, foot stomping and vocalizing from the crowd," Haist said. "It should be fun to listen and take part in that one."
As part of the "Friends" component of the series, Haist and the rest of the Nebraska Brass quintet will be joined by Joe Holmquist of Lincoln, a renowned percussionist who has played with a number of symphonic, chamber and operatic orchestras.
"Joe Holmquist is really a big part of this series for us," said Chris Nichols, who serves as the marketing director for the Nebraska Brass. "His work is visually interesting and you're going to hear a lot of neat sounds you don't typically hear at Nebraska Brass concerts."
The quintet began its Nebraska Brass and Friends series Sunday in Beatrice and will continue it Friday night with a performance in Elkhorn.
"We're off to a great start after Beatrice," Haist said. "We think it'll be quite a good time for those coming out and we hope we see a lot of folks in Ralston."
After Saturday night's stop in Ralston, the ensemble heads to Lincoln to wrap up the series. The quintet typically plays four to five series a year, totalling 25 performances.
The quintet, comprising Haist and Brad Obbink on trumpet, Ken Kielniarz on tuba, Mark Mendell on trombone and Richard Ricker on French horn, also does educational concerts and classes with schools throughout Nebraska and Iowa.
Tickets to see Nebraska Brass Saturday are $12 per person and $10 for seniors. Students will be admitted free of charge.
Call Chris Arzoumanian at Trinity for tickets or reservations at (402) 331-4054.
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