French band Les Philharmonistes joins Manatee Community Concert Band for show
For its first concert of the 2017-18 season, the Manatee Community Concert Band is teaming with a European ensemble in a concert titled “The U.S.A. Meets France.”
The French group is called Les Philharmonistes des Pays de Vaucluse. It’s a 48-piece wind ensemble made up of amateur musicians and based in the south of France, near Avignon.
The Manatee Community Concert Band has been around in one form or another for about 75 years, and currently includes about 75 to 80 musicians. The musicians are retired professional players and teachers, and amateur musicians ranging in age from their teens to 90.
At Saturday’s concert, the Les Philaharmoniste and the Manatee Community Concert Band will each perform a few numbers separately and will conclude with several musical numbers with the combined groups.
Les Philharmonistes’ repertoire is mostly classical. The Manatee Community Concert Band mixes classical music with pops. The program for Saturday’s concert includes tunes by John Philip Sousa, medley of classical pieces that were featured in Bugs Bunny cartoons, a Halloween-themed piece, and an arrangement of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.”
Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Manatee High School Auditorium, 902 33rd St. Court W., Bradenton. Free. 260-410-4126, manateeconcertband.org.
Marty Clear: 941-708-7919, @martinclear
This story was originally published October 25, 2017 at 4:23 PM with the headline "French band Les Philharmonistes joins Manatee Community Concert Band for show."