December Delights
Saturday, December 9, 2023 7 PM
The Playhouse at White Lake, Downtown Whitehall
45 Years of WOW! Pre-concert Talk
6:15 PM with Conductor Mrs. Gail A. Brechting
(Lobby Music Provided by WINDS Brass)
Concert Program
“American Christmas” - Arr. Thomas Graf
WINDS Woodwind Chamber Choir
Flutes -Maryanne Beery, Susan Kiehl, Suzanne Lavin, Kathleen Johnston, Jenny VanDen Heuvel, Kelyn Celeskey, Rachel Martineau, Roxanne Deibel, Jillaena Weesies, Sein Chang
Oboe -Michele Wheeler,
Bassoons – Mandy Tomlinson, Jane Holt
Clarinets – Paula Whisman, James Brunner, Cathy Lintula, Laurie Lubbers, Carolyn Buboltz, Lynn Paul, Linda Browand, Jane Bednarz, Deb Sheckler, Carol Schwemin
Bass Clarinets – Mike Hill, Cameron Wiseman
Horn – James Sheckler
Percussion – Andrew Susalla
“Mary Did You Know?” - Arr. Eddy Lewis
Flugelhorn Trio
Gary Smith, Shar Bourdon, Sean Sweany
“Grown Up Christmas List”- Arr. Kenneth Abeling
“Christmas Medley for Saxophones”- Arr. Matthew Younglove
Saxophone Choir
Soprano Saxophone – Justin Auten
Alto Saxophone – Shaun Skibinski, Matt Ostoin, Steve Vitto
Tenor Saxophone – Amanda Serocke, Marty O’Toole, Rebecca Gierhart
Baritone Saxophone – Dave Lintula
“Yuletide Celebration”- Nathan Daughtry
Percussion Quintet
Chuck Hodson, Dan Cole, Frank Brechting, Michelle Wazny, Nolan Johnson
“Riu, Riu, Chiu” - Mateo Flecha, 15th Century Spanish. Arr. Christopher Warren
WINDS Euphonium & Tuba Choir
Euphonium – Teresa Dunn, Jim Hilton, Jennifer Carey, Monte Rogers, Dan Horton, Bob Tuttle
Tuba – Kim Reynolds, Rob Hardenberg, Bret Wazny, Richard Rothe, Jake Reed, Vince Browand
Percussion – Sandy Beck and Andrew Susalla
“A Christmas Jazz Suite” - Arr. Bill Holcombe
Flute Quartet
Roxanne Deibel, Jillaena Weesies, Jenny Vandenheuvel, Rachel Martineau
“Coventry Carol” - Arr. Richard Price
“Sing We Now of Christmas”- Arr. Richard Price
“Away in a Manger” - Arr. Richard Price
Burnished Brass Quintet
Trumpets – Sharlene Bourdon, Craig Bourdon
Horn – Susan Peeples
Trombone – Bill Price
Tuba – Kim Reynolds
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 15 minute Intermission ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Dawn Carol” - Margaret Lowe
Flute Choir
Maryanne Beery, Susan Kiehl, Suzanne Lavin, Kathleen Johnston, Jenny Vandenheuvel, Kelyn Celeskey, Rachel Martineau, Roxanne Deibel, Jillaena Weesies
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” - Traditional Arr. Doris Gazda and Larry Clark
“Angels We Have Heard on High” - French Carol Arr. Doris Gazda and Larry Clark
Trombone Choir
Trombone - Dale Smith, Ron Gibbs, Keith Danielson, Bill Price, T Rose, Keegan Kalisek, Chuck Hornung
Bass Trombone - Klay Woodworth, Tom Weaver
“Greensleeves” - Arr. Bjorn Marin
Flutes and Harp
Flutes - Jillaena Weesies, Rachel Martineau, Jenny Vandenheuvel,
Harp - Sandy Beck
“Shepherd, Shake off Your Drowsy Sleep” - Trad. Carol
“Shepherd’s Farewell” - Hector Berlioz
“Ding Dong Merrily on High” - Trad. Carol
Horn Choir
Allen Beck, James Sheckler, Carrie Sorenson, Elizabeth Johnson, Amy VanderLaan, Amber Russell, Terrie Hampel, Judy Fuller, Ken Kloet
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” - Arr. Jason Sullivan
“Carol of the Bells” - Mykolaiv Leontovych. Arr. Fernando Britto
Bassoon Trio
Mandy Tomlinson, Jane Holt, Miriam Acosta
“Christmas Toons!” - Arr. Anthony Di Lorenzo
WINDS Brass Chamber Choir
Piccolo Trumpet – David Meyers
Trumpet & Flugelhorn – Gary Oberlin, Gary Smith, David Meyers, John Highhill, Craig Bourdon, Sean Sweany, Jim Baker, Sharlene Bourdon, Kim Emmons-Brayton, Matthew Gilbert, Jim Johnson, John Brunner, Thom Lemon
Horns - Allen Beck, James Sheckler, Carrie Sorenson, Elizabeth Johnson, Amy VanderLaan, Jennifer Reeths, Amber Russell, Terrie Hampel, Judy Fuller, Ken Kloet
Trombones – Dale Smith, Ron Gibbs, Keith Danielson, Bill Price, Keegan Kalisek, Chuck Hornung, T Rose
Bass Trombones – Klay Woodworth, Tom Weaver
Tubas - Kim Reynolds, Rob Hardenberg, Bret Wazny, Richard Rothe, Jake Reed, Vince Broward
Drum Set – Olivia Kieffer
Percussion – Sandy Beck
Meet the Conductor
Gail A. Brechting, Conductor & Musical Director
Gail A. Brechting, Conductor & Musical Director
West Michigan Concert Winds
Gail Brechting is in her twenty-seventh year as the conductor of the award-winning West Michigan Concert WINDS. Under her direction, the WINDS received the John Phillip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Silver Scroll Award, America’s most prestigious community concert band award. She has organized five international tours with the WINDS, with a 2024 Scotland/Ireland tour being planned. She has had the privilege of conducting the WINDS in Chicago’s Symphony Hall, as well as the historic Carnegie Hall in New York City. Before becoming conductor, Mrs. Brechting was principal trombone with the WINDS and performed with many area music ensembles including the Traverse City Symphony, the Lansing Concert Band, The Lake Effect Brass, and the West Shore Symphony. In addition, is a soprano vocal soloist in West Michigan.
From 1996-1999 Mrs. Brechting represented MSBOA as the State Representative for the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. For forty years, she has been an active district and state level adjudicator for low brass, band and orchestras as well as teaching private trombone, euphonium and tuba lessons to students of all ages.
She has been the guest conductor with the Acadia Winds in Louisiana, Hot Springs Community Band in Arkansas, was the featured conductor with the Louisiana Middle School Honors Band, and she served as guest clinician and conductor with the Winter Park High School in Florida. She is the 2019 & 2022 recipient of the Harry Begian Conductor Scholar award, through Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Mrs. Brechting is presently the Past President of the Association of Concert Bands, also serving two previous terms on the board of directors. She has recently been named the Lifelong Arts Program Director with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. She is a member of the National Band Association, an Associate Member of the American Bandmasters Association, the College Band Directors Association, an Emeritus member of Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, P.E.O. and the Women Band Directors Association. She is the first woman selected by the John Philip Sousa Foundation to serve on the Sudler Silver Scroll Award selection committee and was recently appointed the chairwomen of this committee. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Arts degree from West Michigan University. Mrs. Brechting is a former music faculty of Muskegon Community College and retired in 2019, after a 40-year public school music education career, 34 of those with the Reeths-Puffer Schools in Muskegon, MI. In her spare time, she trains and competes as a US Masters swimmer, recently attaining two gold and silver medals.
Mrs. Brechting lives in Spring Lake with her engineer/pianist husband Frank. Their daughter Annelise is a Physician Assistant in Greenville, SC.
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