50th Annual Cathedral Concert
November 15 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Free
The band is currently preparing for its 50th Cathedral Concert! This annual event has been a beloved tradition, and for those 50 years, we have had the privilege of playing in the beautiful Fond du Lac Cathedral of the Church of Saint Paul the Apostle. We’d like to thank St. Paul’s for hosting us for this annual event. It’s a beautiful setting, and their support of the band and of music in our community means a lot.
At this upcoming concert, we are delighted to be sharing the program with our friends in the South Shore Chamber Singers! The South Shore Chorale, directed by Cory Schneider, is another organization with deep roots, and their outstanding programs are certainly a highlight of the vibrant arts community in Fond du Lac. The band and chorus will perform Vaughan Williams Sine Nomine together, and the Chamber Singers will also share Randall Thompson’s Alleluia. This lovely work by Thompson was also performed by the choir, then called the Fond du Lac Oratorio Chorus, at the first Cathedral Concert in 1976.
Much of the program is made up of pieces which were identified by band members as favorites from past Cathedral concerts. We’ll feature some gorgeous classics like Wagner’s Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral and Elgar’s “Nimrod” from Enigma Variations. More recent favorites include David Lovrien’s popular Minor Alterations featuring holiday tunes creatively recast in minor keys. A very special piece on this program is Silver Accolade by David Gillingham. This piece was commissioned by the band in honor of Dr. Ray Wifler on his 25th anniversary as Music Director and was premiered at the 2003 Cathedral Concert. In highlighting this work, as well as featuring the South Shore Chorale which he was part of founding, we celebrate Maestro Wifler’s work and his legacy in our music community. We hope you’ll join us for this special anniversary concert!