Free Christmas Concert at the Bijou Performed by Knoxville Community Band

Communications Director

Kristin Farley
[email protected]
(865) 215-2589

400 Main St., Room 691
Knoxville, TN 37902

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Free Christmas Concert at the Bijou Performed by Knoxville Community Band

Posted: 12/01/2016
Knox Community BandThe Knoxville Community Band will give a free Christmas concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Bijou Theatre, helping families kick off the holiday season in good cheer.

The concert will feature traditional Christmas music and carols as well as some less familiar pieces that are representative of the season. 

A staple of the band’s annual Christmas Concert is “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson. If you listen closely, you can hear sleigh bells and the horse’s whinny.

“An Irving Berlin Christmas” features three medleys by the American composer – “Happy Holidays,” “White Christmas” and “Let’s Start the New Year Right.” The Russian-born Berlin came to America when he was 5, and “God Bless America” is counted among his most popular anthems.

“Christmas on the Town Square” features medleys of several well-known Christmas songs, including “Good King Wenceslas,” “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” 

“The Christmas Song” is better known by its subtitle, “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” Mike Layland, a retired band director from Fairfax, Va., plays the alto saxophone solo. 

Jennifer Fields, who plays trumpet in the band, will be a guest director for the number “Bring a Torch.” She is countywide elementary general music teacher for the Union County school system.

The band is directed by Larry Hicks, retired band director of Heritage High School in Maryville. Mark Boring, also retired from the Blount County school system, is the assistant band director. 

The band, sponsored by Knoxville Parks and Recreation, is comprised of instrumentalists in the community who like to play, and most have been playing since grammar school. All are volunteers, and all play because they love music. The group plays year round at festivals and other special events and performs a series of summer outdoor concerts. New members with expertise on any wind or percussion instruments are welcome. Practices are from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays at Northwest Middle School.

Learn more about the Knoxville Community Band