MANSFIELD, PA – The Mansfield University Mountaineer Brass Band,
under the direction of Dr. Nathan Rinnert, will present a concert honoring
United States military veterans on Saturday, November 10, 2018, 1:30pm, in the
Vetrans Administration (VA) Hospital Auditorium (Building 92) in Bath, NY. The
hour-long concert will feature a wide variety of marches, patriotic pieces, and
popular tunes. An Armed Forces Salute, that includes songs associated
with each branch of the United States armed forces, will highlight the concert.
Admission to the
concert is free and patrons of all ages are encouraged to attend. Following the
concert, the VA will host a reception for band members, guests, and residents
of the VA Hospital facility.
November 11, 2018
marks the centennial anniversary of the signing of the Armistice of
Compiègne, ending World War I. Referred to as Armistice Day and Remembrance
Day following WWI, the November 11 holiday was renamed “Veterans Day” by the
U.S. government in 1954. In commemoration of this centennial anniversary the
Mountaineer Brass Band is adding eleven woodwinds to the ensemble to form a
traditional, 1910s-era military-style band. This 41-piece ensemble will offer a
wide variety of music from the WWI era. Chamber ensembles made up of members of
the band will also perform music period pieces – a woodwind quintet, a
saxophone quartet, a brass quintet, a percussion ensemble, and a barbershop
quartet.
The Mansfield University Mountaineer Brass Band is proud to be the only traditional, British brass band in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and one of only a handful of university brass bands in the US, where the brass band movement seems to be increasing by leaps and bounds. The Mountaineer Brass Band maintains a minimum instrumentation of eight cornets, one flugelhorn, three tenor horns, two baritones, two euphoniums, three trombones, two E-flat tubas, two BB-flat tubas, and three percussionists (27 total). Initiated at MU in the spring of 2006 (performing on “less-British” instruments like trumpets, French horns, and American baritones), the band really took off spring of 2008 with support from the university Provost who provided the band with new cornets, tenor horns, baritones, and E-flat tubas. This ensemble quickly has become a favorite for both performers and audiences.
The Mountaineer
Brass Band performs one stand-alone concert each semester, plays one number at
the annual music department PRISM concerts, serves as the MU Commencement Band
for December and May ceremonies, and participates as one of the clinic
ensembles at the annual MU Conducting Symposium held each February in Steadman
Theater. In addition to these annual events, Mountaineer Brass Band competes
every few years in the North American Brass Band Association contest in Fort
Wayne, IN. The band’s first trip to this contest in 2015 resulted in a second place
trophy in the 3rd Section. For more information about the concert and
the Mountaineer Brass Band, please contact Dr. Rinnert at nrinnert@mansfield.edu.