The Whitehouse Wind Symphony, a community band under the direction of Branchburg resident James P. Sheeley, Jr., will present a free holiday concert on Sunday, December 8th at 3:00pm at the historic courthouse, located at 75 Main Street in Flemington. This is the second of four holiday concerts the band is presenting this December.
Concertgoers will enjoy the band’s arrangements of classic Christmas carols such as “Good King Wenceslas,” “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Good Christian Men, Rejoice,” “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful,” and “Here We Come A’Caroling.” The band will also play some favorite holiday songs such as “Jingle Bells,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “Frosty the Snowman.” Children will be invited to ring sleigh bells as the band plays “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson. Audience members will also have the opportunity to sing along with the band!
This concert is free and open to the general public, although donations will be accepted to benefit the band, a non-profit group comprised entirely of volunteer musicians. In the event of inclement weather, the announcement to cancel this concert will be made on the band’s website (whitehousewindsymphony.org) and Facebook page (facebook.com/whitehousewind).
The band first gave a holiday performance at the historic courthouse in 2011, and remains the first and only ensemble to do so in the courthouse’s 190 year history. This particular concert is made possible through the support of the Flemington Community Partnership and Mediatech Foundation. The concert is intentionally scheduled so that audience members can exit the courthouse after the concert and immediately enjoy the annual holiday parade in Flemington presented by the Hunterdon Chamber of Commerce. Parking is located behind the courthouse and in several other nearby lots. The courthouse is fully accessible from the rear entrance.
The Whitehouse Wind Symphony was founded by conductor emeritus Casey Bork on April 15, 1996. It is dedicated to presenting the best in all varieties of wind band literature. Since its founding, the band has grown rapidly, attracting experienced musicians as regular members from all over New Jersey, as well as New York City and eastern Pennsylvania. It is now comprised of approximately 50 amateur and professional musicians who perform together regularly to enthusiastic audiences throughout central and northern New Jersey. It was recently voted a finalist in the “Hunterdon Happening” list in the category of favorite musician/band.
The Whitehouse Wind Symphony is committed to making its music accessible to all. For more information about the Symphony, including information and inquiries about venue accessibility, please send an email to whitehousewindsymphony@gmail.com.
Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through funds administered by the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission.
