By: Michael McDonald
The temperature outside is brisk, which means it’s almost time for The Capital City Band of Tallahassee Community College to take stage and showcase its talents during Tallahassee’s Winter Festival.
This holiday concert is a yearly event, which gives listeners the chance to enjoy a night of cheerful sounds and sights.
The band will perform its holiday concert at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, in downtown Tallahassee.
Historian of the band, Sara Pankaskie, said that the program will range from some serious songs to some silly.
“Our audience gets to come by and get in the holiday spirit, by hearing a group of musicians play some of your favorite holiday music,” Pankaskie said in a recent email interview.
The concert is held outside, to which Pankaskie said that the city offers chairs and bleachers for the crowd, which ranges about 100 people in the bleachers.
“Some sit and stay for the entire concert, some walk by, sing a few carols with the band, then move on.” Pankaskie said.
Michael Grant, who is the band’s director, said that there are no new songs performed, but some well-known hits, such as “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer”, “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” and “Frosty the Snowman”, which are performed in different arrangements.
“This year we’re trying out “Feliz Navidad”, which is a nice change from “Frosty the Snowman”. This’ll give it a little international flavor,” Grant said.
The Capital City Band of TCC has played for every Winter Festival since the event started back in 1986. Many members have come and gone, but Grant said that the band has remained as a group intent on entertaining the young and old.
“Come to the concert, listen, sing along, be happy, and go away with the spirit of the holidays in your heart and on your tongue,” Grant said.
