Band features "Misfits" and guest conducting directing his own arrangements

The August 14 concert represents the 9th of 13 concerts planned at the John E. N. Howard Band Shell in downtown St. Joseph for the 2005 season.

Director Dr. Donald Moely, announced the concert begins with ‘The Rifle Regiment," a march composed by John Philips Sousa in 1886, dedicated to the officers and men of the 3rd U.S. Infantry. This is followed by "English Folk Song Suite," by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The piece’s three movements are: March–"Seventeen Come Sunday," Intermezzo–"My Bonny Boy"," and March–"Folk Songs from Somerset."

Richard Bressler, of Dowagiac, is the baritone saxophone player of the band, who next comes forward to guest direct two of his own arrangements with the band. Bressler spent thirty-one years teaching instrumental and vocal music education in several school systems including Dowagiac, Cassopolis, and Camden-Frontier. Rich is a graduate of Grand Rapids Junior College and Western Michigan University. This is his 37th year of membership with the St. Joseph Municipal Band. He has been a member of the Jackson Symphony, Kalamazoo Concert Band and "Sophisticated Swing" Big Band, and has performed with the Southwest Michigan and South Bend Symphony orchestras. He is an active substitute music teacher for many school districts in Southwest Michigan and is currently the Chancel Choir Director at the Dowagiac First United Methodist Church. He also teaches private clarinet and saxophone lessons at the Salvation Army Fine Arts Center, and is a music education tester with Marshall Music Company. Bressler is a member of the Board of Directors of the Dowagiac Dogwood Fine Arts Festival. Rich has had arrangements performed by the St. Joseph Municipal Band, Kalamazoo Concert Band, Lake Effect Winds and high school bands from Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Hillsdale, Jonesville and St. Joseph. Bressler will conduct "Hymn Triumphant," a medley of the hymn tunes: "Immortal Invisible," "Old Hundredth," "O For A Thousand Tongues," "All Creatures of Our god and King," "Hark, Ten Thousand Harps and Voices," and "Praise To The Lord The Almighty."

Bressler next conducts "Treasures of San Miguel," an arrangement patterned after to sounds of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

The concert entertainment continues with the guest performing group "The Misfits." The Misfits is a comedy chorus directed by Joan Nozicka. This group of 35 recreational singers was formed in May of 1995 with 12 singers. This was a sing-a-long group at the St. Joseph/Lincoln Senior Center, who enjoyed music and decided to go to local nursing homes to entertain the residents. To "cheer up" the residents, they decided to do musical comedy and design their own "silly" costumes. Now in their eleventh year, they have performed over 550 shows before various groups and organizations who enjoy their humor and relaxed manner. Their travels have taken them to parts of Southwestern Michigan as well as Northern Indiana. In 1997 they traveled to Branson, Missouri, for a performance. Nozicka, now retired, had taught piano and organ for many years. With her musical background, she is able to select and arrange the music that the group performs. She pre-records the accompanying music that is used for each performance. The theme this year is Patriotic, honoring our service people with songs that were popular during World War II.

The Misfits program for Sunday is a Patriotic tribute to WW II., which includes:

"Comin’ In On a Wing and a Prayer," "The Dummy," "Johnson’s Rag," " Route 66," "Hello Baby," and "Service Songs."

Members of the group include: Alice Baker, Janet Bednar, Millie Carney, Sally Cheek, Delores Frantz, Esther Hahne, Donna Johnson, Polly Judd, Josephine Perry, Lila Roethel, Cathy Sherwood, Ruby Sprague, Vera Zwar, Louis Arent, John Bednar, Betty Bohm, Bob Brockett, Bill Carney, Lyall Dlask, Darlene Gaul, Warren Hahn, Peggy Platts, Nick Rose, Harry Sherwood, Scott Sherwood, Lou Vogl, Vicki Baker, Mildred Brown, Nancy Campau, Darlene Freer, Imelda Knowles, Joanne Parrish, Leona Rose, Betty Ross

The concert next features the saxophone section in "Sax Serenade," by Ira Schwartz. Members of the sax section performing are: Christopher Keech, of St. Joseph; Daniel Worthington, of St. Joseph; Steven Schadler, of St. Joseph; and Richard Bressler of Dowagiac.

Next the band features the Saxophone section of the band by featuring:

Christopher Keech, Daniel Worthington, Steven Schadler, Richard Bressler.

The concert concludes with a collection of Broadway tunes in a Warren Barker arrangement entitled "Bricusse and Newley on Broadway"

The hour long Municipal Band concerts at the John E. N. Howard band shell are held each Sunday at 3:30 & 7:30 p.m. and continue through Sunday, September 4 and conclude with the final set of concerts Monday, September 5, Labor Day.

Last updated on 06/28/2007