Author: musicus1685

Heritage Concert Band is back for 2025.

June 5, 12, 19, 26 Thursday evening concert series in Mt. Olive, IL at the historic Main Street Park bandstand. For the third straight year, free refreshments are provided for the audience by Zion Lutheran Church of Mt. Olive with support by Thrivent Financial. Thank you for the amazing treats!

July 3, 10, 17, 24 Thursday evening concert series in Staunton, IL at the band’s own bandstand behind Staunton Public Library.

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive Ice Cream Social: July 20, concert at 6:00 pm.

The Heritage Concert Band welcomes you to our 2024 Season.

Concert Calendar for 2024

May 27 Memorial Day

• 11:00 am Ceremony Staunton Library Main Street —the band will begin playing shortly after 10:30.
• 1:00 pm Ceremony at Benld Cemetery —the band will start playing between 12:30 and 1:00.
• 2:00 pm Ceremony at Gillespie City Hall —the band will play during the ceremony and a few selections afterward

Mt. Olive Summer Concert Series

• Thursdays, June 6, 13, 20, 27 at 7:00 pm at the bandstand in Main St. park

Staunton Summer Concert Series

• Thursdays July 4, 11, 18, 25 at 7:30 at the bandstand behind Staunton Public Library

Mt. Olive-Immanuel Lutheran Church Ice Cream Social – July 21 (band plays at 6:00 pm but the ice cream social starts earlier)

Gillespie Methodist Church Ice Cream Social – Time and Day to be Announced

Thanks everyone for a great season. We’re looking forward to next year and maybe adding some extra concerts here and there.

Come and see our final Staunton concert of the season! Tonight we feature a Broadway theme and a saxophone solo with the band played by our director. We’ll also sing Happy Birthday to the band for its 160th.

7:30 pm Bandstand behind Staunton Public Library

Should we have inclement weather, cancellation will be posted here.

Due to an unforeseen funeral visitation at the chirch and because rain may be imminent tonight’s rehearsal is canceled.

We still have three Thursday night concerts left in Staunton for July 2023. Also, we will be performing at two ice cream socials this year. Come see us and enjoy delicious ice cream. The Mt. Olive ice cream social also sells food for a full meal.

Immanuel Lutheran Church of Mt. Olive Ice Cream Social 7/16/23 at 6 pm

Gillespie Methodist Church 7/23/23 at 6 pm

Thank you for visiting our website!

We’re pleased to announce our 2023 season. All concerts are free of charge. Bring the kids, picnics, lawn chairs and smiles!

Memorial Day Services (May 29, 2023)

11:00 am. Veterans Memorial on Main Street in front of the Staunton Public Library

1:00 pm. Benld Cemetery

Benld Cemetery
608–656 S Eighth St (Route 138)
Benld, IL

2:00 pm. Gillespie Civic Center

115 N. Macoupin St.
Gillespie, IL

Mt. Olive Concert Series (Old Main Street City Part Bandstand)

7:00 PM Thursday nights (June 1, 8, 15, 22. Rain date concert on June 29 if one of the concerts is rained out)

Staunton Concert Series (Bandstand behind Staunton Public Library)

7:30 PM Thursday nights (July 6, 13, 20, 27)
Our annual Children’s Concert will be on July 20!

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ARCHIVED ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM PAST SEASONS Below

On Thursday (7/28), the Heritage Concert Band will perform its annual Children’s Concert. The band will play special selections for kids of ages. Kids can sit near the stage and will get a chance to participate during the performance. 

 This year the band welcomes Milagros (Millie) Ho, who will dazzle the audience with her castanet capabilities. Millie was born in Puerto Rico and studied piano performance at the Conservatorio de Música.  In 1999, she moved to Illinois to begin a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance at SIUE.  She studied with Dr. Linda Perry, graduating in 2001, and is currently on the piano faculty of the SIUE Keyboard Development Program.

In December 2011, after seeing a virtuoso castanet player on YouTube, Mrs. Ho began teaching herself to play the instrument using the method books of two famous castanet players, Emma Maleras who developed the notation for castanets, and Ria Schneider.  She was castanet soloist with the Parkway Middle School Chamber Orchestra and the Edwardsville Symphony Orchestra, and for the past 8 years has performed with Dr. Perry in the piano & castanet duo “Keys and Castanets”.

   Castanets were named in Spanish castañetes after the castaño or chestnut tree, from which they were often made. Castanets actually go back not just centuries but millennia, at least as far back as the Persian Empire, Ancient Greece and Rome. Be a part of their continuing history and come to Thursday’s Children’s Concert. The one hour concert starts at 7:30 pm on stage behind the Staunton Public Library. Bring chairs or blankets and refreshments! See below the photo of our guest for inclement weather information!

Millie Ho, Guest Soloist

NOTE: Should the concert be rained out, we will present it on the following week. If the weather situation seems like imminent rain, please check this webpage before heading to the concert as we will announce the postponement here if it becomes necessary.

We’re happy to be back in Staunton for a 4 concert series beginning tomorrow, June 7, 2022. Our Staunton concerts begin at 7:30 pm at the bandstand behind the Main Street public library.

Please share this on your social media!! Thank you and see you there!

STAUNTON CONCERT SERIES 
Concerts are at our recently refurbished band stand behind Staunton Public Library

Thursday, July 7 7:30 pm
Thursday, July 14 7:30 pm
Thursday, July 21 7:30 pm
Thursday, July 28 7:30 pm – ANNUAL CHILDREN’S CONCERT! Special guest Milagros Ho, concert castañetera!
Thursday, August 4 (Rain Date – if a previous Staunton concert is rained out, we will have a concert on this date)

SPECIAL CONCERTS

Sunday, July 17 6:00 PM Annual Concert at Immanuel Ice Cream Social
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Main St. in Mt. Olive