Buhl Community Band to perform Christmas concert tonight

Dec. 5—HERMITAGE — This year's holiday concert by the Buhl Community Band will offer audiences the chance to not just enjoy some holiday classics, but the opportunity to sing along as well.

The free concert begins at 7 p.m. tonight in the ballroom of the Avalon Golf and Country Club at Buhl Park.

Band Director Judy Mindicino said the show will feature a mixture of traditional and modern Christmas songs, ranging from "Do You Hear What I Hear?" to the more jazzy "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," which will be a newer piece for the band.

"It's a great way to kick off the holidays," Mindicino said of the concert.

Other pieces include "A Christmas Festival" by Leroy Anderson, "Santa Baby" and the community band's traditional closer, "Sleigh Ride."

A few marches will be included in the concert, such as "Jingle Bell March" and "A Dashing Gallop," while the medley "A Rollicking Hanukah" will include four Hanukah-related pieces.

Another medley, "The Herald Angels Sang," will include the songs "Angels from the Realms of Glory," "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," Mindicino said.

The poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," a traditional piece for the Buhl Community Band, will be returning this year — featuring music and narration by Maria Petrella-Ackley.

Pittsburgh resident and soloist Jennifer Weber will also return for this year's concert, after first performing with the band in 2022.

"It went really, really well having her perform with us, so we got her to come back," Mindicino said of Weber.

This year, Weber will perform "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Grown Up Christmas List," as well as leading the audience in a sing-along piece called the "Ultimate Christmas Sing-Along."

The piece is a medley that includes the familiar songs "Jingle Bells," "Deck the Halls," "Silent Night" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," Mindicino said.

Aside from singing, members of the audience will be able to play along with bells on wrist bands provided by band officials.

"We have about 140 of those wrist bands with jingle bells on them, so we're going to give them out to people in the audience," Mindicino said.

Another piece that will encourage audience participation is "The Twelve Days of Christmas," which the community band has not performed in about four years.

Mindicino described the piece as a "fun" experience that will take a more humorous look at the 12 gifts of Christmas. For example, with two turtle doves, two people will be given two stuffed turtles with wings, while calling birds will be represented by birds with telephones.

The gifts will be distributed to different audience members, who will stand up when their respective gift is called.

Michelle Bower, the Buhl Club's director of operations, is expected to bring in nine students from the club's dance studio to represent the nine ladies dancing, Mindicino said.

"It's just a fun, fun time. The audience always enjoys it," Mindicino said.

The ensemble includes about 50 people, from longtime members that were present for the band's first concert in 2006 to musicians who are still in high school.

Attendance at the concert's bands has increased over the years, with at least 300 people in the audience for last year's show, Mindicino said.

Monetary donations will be collected for the Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County.

The Avalon's restaurant and three bars will be open for the evening. The event will also include a hot toddy bar and a holiday cookie plate for sale.

Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at ddye@sharonherald.com.