The 30 professional musicians of the Southern Stars Symphonic Brass have prepared a wide variety of music for the “Brasstacular Moments!” concert Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. with featured vocalist Michael Ruff from the Cumberland County Playhouse.
Many have enjoyed Ruff’s roles in Cumberland County Playhouse productions such as “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Odd Couple,” “Johnny and the Devil’s Box” and “White Christmas.”
For this concert, Ruff will perform from the Big Band era the Cab Calloway hit Minnie the Moocher and for a change of pace the beautiful ballad, “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
The concert will be at the 1,200-seat auditorium of Stone Memorial High School at 2800 Cook Road in Crossville.
Southern Stars music director Steven Sudduth and artistic director Dwight Wages have selected music that is guaranteed to provide the premium enterteainment for which the ensemble has become renowned.
The Southern Stars Symphonic Brass will feature two of their own musicians for soloist presentations which will demonstrate the versatility of their skills.
Principal euphoniumist Briana Englebert-Vogt, will perform Harmonious Blacksmith by George Frederick Handel.
Principal cornet player Scott Hagarty, a Tennessee Tech University trumpet professor, will perform a jazz version of “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” with the title Joshua Swings the Battle which adds a new swing perspective on that particular song.
The remainder of the concert includes the John Philip Sousa marches Sound-Off and for Michagander’s The Wolverine march. Leroy Anderson’s Belle of the Ball, and the popular swing version of “On the Sunny Side of the Street.”
The Southern Stars Symphonic Brass, in addition, is tackling the challenging brass band arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Finale from Symphony 4.
The band performed Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture in their 2023-24 season to great audience response.
Sudduth and Wages felt it appropriate to perform another symphonic classic to challenge the musicians and reward the audience with the selection of this world renowned piece by a classic composer.
Sponsors for this concert are Susan and Barry Midelton; R.L. and Holly Clark; and Paul and Marty Wennermark.
Advance tickets for “Brasstacular Moments!” are available in advance at Atlas Realty in the Village Mall of Fairfield Glade, First National Bank of Tennessee branches in Crossville and Fairfield Glade as well as at the door on the day of the concert.
Adult tickets are $22; students are admitted free. A “short season” ticket for this Feb. 16 concert and the last one of the season May 4 are $35.
The concert on May 4 is titled “Lollipops and Cracker Jacks,” and will feature music related to the circus and baseball games in addition to featured soloists from the Cumberland County Playhouse.
The soloists include Regina Pullin, a retired U.S. Air Force vocalist from the premiere Washington, DC, location who has been featured in several shows at the Playhouse including the “Wizard of Oz” opening in February.
Also performing will be 10-year-old Lydia Sias from the Playhouse’s Triple Threat group, and she will be performing in the May 4 concert.
Hear these premiere instrumental ensemble of 11 cornets, three alto horns, a flugelhorn, two baritones, two euphoniums, three tenor trombones, a bass trombone, two Eb tubas, two Bb tubas and four percussionists performing a full battery of orchestral percussion equipment.
These professional musicians include university music professors, secondary music educators, and freelance musicians who come from the Tennessee areas of Knoxville, Chattanooga, Crossville, Cookeville, Murfreesboro, Tullahoma, Nashville and Clarksville for rehearsals and concerts.