The Montgomery County Concert Band. (Courtesy of the MCCB)
The 80-member band was formed in April 1995 by Paul Ferla and Steve Frederick, the first director
The Montgomery County Concert Band (MCCB) is celebrating 30 years of music-making this spring.
The band will present its annual spring performance on May 4 at 3 p.m. in the Souderton Area High School auditorium. The performance will feature a variety of audience favorites, including Star Wars, selections by pop legend Stevie Wonder, a favorite Sousa march, and R. Vaughan Williams’ Folk Song Suite. The concert is free but donations are welcome, said a MCCB press release.
The 80-member band was formed in April 1995 by Paul Ferla and Steve Frederick, the first director. The band is currently under the direction of Charles Neidhardt and Assistant Director Ryan Pongras.
MCCB has received numerous honors, including the Sudler Silver Scroll award from the John Philip Sousa Foundation and Third Prize for Community Bands in the 2022 National Prize contest. In addition, the Montgomery County Concert Band has performed three times at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association and twice at the national conference of the Association of Concert Bands.
Over the years, many soloists have appeared with the band, including Carol Jantsch, Principal Tuba of the Philadelphia Orchestra, renowned jazz saxophonist Andrew Neu, and trombonist Scott Shelsta, along with local musicians Faith Wasson, Dave DiValentino, Joyce Haraway, Matt Gallagher, Phil Gross, Colette LeFevre, Marty Nau, Peter Neu, Dave O’Neill, Dave Orehowsky, Cindy Reese, Stephen Rindress, Anthony Triplett, Jan Jochems, Allison Kershner, and Michael Langston, said the release.
In addition to the spring performance, the MCCB will be performing at the following outside venues: Towamencin Township Community Day at Fischer’s Park on May 10 at noon; Souderton Community Park on June 15 at 7 p.m.; and Whites Road Park in Lansdale on June 17 at 7 p.m.
For more information about the band and to listen to recordings, visit https://montcoband.org.
