The St. Joseph Municipal Band 2003 summer concert series includes concerts this Sunday, August 24 at the normal 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the John E. N. Howard Band Shell in downtown St. Joseph overlooked Lake Michigan. This week represents their 10th set of double concerts scheduled for the 2003 Summer.

Director Dr. Moely indicated that this week’s concerts will begin with Sousa’s "Dauntless Battalion" composed in 1929, in honor of two distinguished Americans who were awarded doctorates by the Pennsylvania Military College. The band next features Director of Bands at Andrews University, Alan Mitchell, a member of the band’s trombone section, to guest conduct the next two numbers, which are, "Huapango, " by Jose Pablo Moncayo. This composition is based on several Mexican dances. He will follow this with "Mis Amores Danza," by Simon Madera which is a Puerto Rican danza in a march/dance style.

ALAN MITCHELL is an Assistant Professor of Music at Andrews University. His teaching responsibilities include the Wind Symphony and music education courses for the Bachelor=s and M. M. in Music Education degrees. His performance organizations have performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Mr. Mitchell has also served as clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator throughout the United Sates. Prior to coming to Andrews University, he taught at Auburn Adventist Academy, Washington; Platte Valley Academy, Nebraska; John North High school, California; and in the Fountain Valley Elementary school District, California. Mr. Mitchell holds both a B.A. and M.A. degrees in music from California State University at Long Beach. He is currently pursuing an D.M.A. degree in Wind Conducting/Music Education at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. His major conducting professors were Eugene Corporon and Mallory Thompson.

The special entertainment for the concert will be a performance of the "Metro Chord Authority," a barbershop quartet, which is one of Michigan’s newest quartets but composed of seasoned singers and barbershop quartet singers. Individually, they have performed all over the United States, Canada and Europe. As a quartet they have more than 90 years of singing barbershop and almost that many years singing in quartets. They have performed all over the greater Michigan area including most of southwest Michigan and northern Indiana and in St. Joseph, Missouri and will be competing in October for the Pioneer District Quartet Championship where they are one of the favored quartets. They are from Bridgman, and Galien, Michigan and are all members of the Michigan Metro Chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America Inc. Members of the group are: Bernard Worden, Tenor; Gene Hanover, Lead, David Durham, Baritone and Kerry Foley, Bass. The will perform: "Sam, the Old Accordion Man," "Harmony Leads the Way," "On A Slow Boat To China," "Tie Me to Your Apron Strings Again," and "Alabama Jubilee/Alabamy Bound Medley."

The band next features a composer conducting his own march. Leonard Meretta will guest conduct his "Tioga March." Dr. Moely said, "We’ve featured many guest conductors over the years but it’s very special when we bring to the podium such a distinguished, experienced conductor like Mr. Meretta, who always supports our concerts over the many years, so it’s unique to be able to feature him to guest conduct his own march with the band."

LEONARD MERETTA was director of Western Michigan University Bands for 27 years. He was assistant band director and trumpet teacher at the U-M prior to his tenure at Western. Mr. Meretta's extensive professional playing and performance experiences have included touring the U.S. as trumpet soloist, numerous performances in bands conducted by Percy Grainger, Edwin Franko Goldman, Frank Simon, Erik Leidzen and William Revelli. He has guest-conducted the Goldman Band, US Army Band, high school, university and professional bands. Five of his marches have been published. He is a member of the American Bandmasters Association. Recently, the WMU Concert Bands performed a program with the title, "A Tribute to Leonard V. Meretta." March "Tioga" was dedicated to Herbert Grant of Mansfield, Pennsylvania, in appreciation of his life-long support of bands.

The band follows with Igor Stravinsky’s "Berceuse and Finale," the dramatic music from the "Firebird" suite. The variety of program continues with the performance of three contrasting selections by a select brass quartet consisting of Jay Crouch, trumpet, of Niles; Jay Miller, trumpet of South Bend; William Kryder, French Horn of South Bend, and Bob Rusk, Euphonium, of South Bend.

The concert concludes with Sousa’s "Occidental March." The concerts are each Sunday at 3:30 & 7:30 p.m. and last about one hour.