Brass and Christmas just seem to go together.
Featuring music from its new album, Northside Brass will perform a holiday concert presented by Solemn Oath Brewery at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 23 at Center Stage Theater in Naperville.
“Our favorite thing about this concert is our ability to choose our own program of music and create an event that we believe all people — not just classical music lovers — will enjoy,” says Ryan Hobbs, who plays trumpet with the quintet. “This year’s concert will feature favorite carols like ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Deck the Halls’ from our new album ‘Christmas Carols for Brass’ along with some Hanukkah favorites and uptempo jazz Christmas tunes.”
Hobbs founded the group in 2011, and its members include Anna Mayne (French horn), Sarah Carrillo (trumpet), Steve Duncan (trombone) and Josh Biere (tuba).
“The songs on the concert have a broad appeal to a wide audience — we like to keep things light and approach classical music in a welcoming, low-stress way,” said Hobbs, who is also an adjunct professor of trumpet at Elgin Community College.
“We realize the concert hall can be a barrier for some who very much enjoy our music, so one of our main goals as an ensemble is to make classical music friendly and approachable.”
And that includes the addition of beer and wine served at the 156-seat theater, which is next door to Solemn Oath Brewery.
“My brother Eric and I work in very different industries, and this is the one time each year we can collaborate on a single event,” Hobbs said. “Eric is the chief operating officer of Solemn Oath Brewery, and it’s kind of unique for our two worlds — music and beer — to come together like this.”
Door open at 6 p.m., with “Beer with the Band” at 6:30 p.m. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
“The evening will be emceed by local Chicago actor David Gordon-Johnson whose recent appearances include Drury Lane, Lincolnshire Marriott and Chicago Shakespeare Theater,” Hobbs said.
This marks the sixth year for the Northside Brass holiday concert.
“We believe music unites people and can even bridge differences, so we hope our audience is able to unplug and simply enjoy an evening of music,” Hobbs said.
All ages are welcome. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets are $31.44 (with online service fee) for adults (21 and older) and include one beer from Solemn Oath. Tickets for those under 21 are $21.99 (with online service fee). The album “Christmas Carols for Brass” by Northside Brass is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Northside Brass Holiday Concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 23
Where: Center Stage Theater, 1665 Quincy Ave. #131, Naperville
Tickets: $20-$29
Information: 630-715-2720; www.northsidebrass.com
Jen Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
