Charlottesville Municipal Band

The principal oboe player walked onto center stage; all eyes were on the gentleman as he played the distinctive pitch of a Concert A. The stage came to life as the other musicians slowly joined in, tuning their instruments to the loan note, teasing the audience with a brilliant collective tone.

The side curtain rustled and the crowds’ gaze shifted to the right. The conductor of The Charlottesville Municipal Band, Stephen Laymen, entered.

PVCC’s Dickinson Theatre was electric. The woodwind, percussion, brass, and string sections snapped to attention as Layman commanded the stage.

With a whirl of the wand, the performers plunged into a spirited rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.

The audience rose to its feet, singing with the instrumentalists’ quick, jazz-like tempo, clapping and cheering when the National Anthem came to an end. The Spring Concert’s first selection was sensational.

“[Layman] always starts his concerts with the National Anthem,” said Dori Hoffman-Latter, a retired special education teacher in the audience. Hoffman-Latter and her husband came to hear their friend, Frank Boone, a trombone player in the band.

“It’s thrilling. We just love this group. They play the kind of music we like to hear.” The second piece was Leonard Bernstein’s Slava. The audience heard an unexpected sound midway through the piece.

The musicians launched into a syncopated clapping beat with their hands. At the end, the instrumentalists paused and shouted, “Slava!” in unison. The crowd seemed to enjoy this surprise, smiling and clapping as well.

Midway through the concert, the audience was delighted to hear guest player, Chris Hays. A junior at Charlottesville High School, Hays wowed the crowd with his performance of Concertante for Alto Saxophone & Band by Clare Grundman.

Winner of the James W. Simmons Concerto Competition and Dr. Genevieve Murphy Scholarship, Hays brought the crowd to their feet again with a standing ovation. No doubt they were impressed with the young man’s ability to play a five-minute piece from memory.

Gary Foster, percussionist and guest conductor, engaged the audience in a lesson on percussion rhythms.

“We in the municipal band like to think the audience should learn something,” Foster said with a laugh. He invited them to hold up their fingers and learn the “paradiddles” together.

The beloved Eleanor Dickerson received special recognition as the Municipal Band’s librarian, serving from 1959-2015 – an impressive 56 years. Layman shared poignant words about Dickerson, presenting her with a gift. She, too, received a standing ovation for dedication to the city’s band.

The concert ended with John Philip Sousa’s Glory of the Yankee Navy. The piccolo, playing precisely one octave higher than the flute, could be heard over the roar of the band.

When the selection ended, again, the crowd rose to its feet to show their appreciation. Layman said, “ I know it’s really pretty outside, but would you hang around if we played another Sousa march?” The listeners were happy to oblige.

As the theatre emptied, some walked up to the stage to thank the members of the band. Others gathered around the talented high school saxophone player, showing their appreciation for his gift of music.

“Loved it,“ said Hoffman-Latter, “It was fun, lively, peppy, and energetic. I especially liked hearing the young boy play. I’ll be back this summer.”

The 88-member community band has openings in its clarinet and trombone sections. Rehearsals are from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays. For more details go to www.cvilleband.org. For audition information, call: 295-9850.

The next concert of the Charlottesville Municipal Band will be on June 2 at Charlottesville’s Paramount Theatre.