A concert band is a musical group comprised of woodwind, brass and percussion instrumentation. It is led by a conductor and functions primarily as a stage performance ensemble, as opposed to a marching band, which typically performs in a mobile fashion. Some other names for concert bands include "wind ensemble," "wind symphony," and "wind orchestra."
Some famous concert bands include the Dallas Wind Symphonyhttp://www.dws.org/, the Air Force Academy Bandhttp://www.usafacademyband.af.mil/ensembles/BandEnsembleBio.asp?EnsembleID=17, and the Royal Hawaiian Bandhttp://www.honolulu.gov/rhb/. These bands are all well known for their focus on music as opposed to motion and performance, a hallmark of the concert band.http://www.theconcertband.com
Even though the instruments in a concert band are similar to those found in a marching band, the two differ in their repertoire and performance techniques.
Concert Band Instrumentation
The typical instrumentation for a concert band includes a bassoon, clarinet, Flute, Oboe, Piccolo, Saxophone, Timpani, Trombone, Trumpet or Cornet, Tuba, and various percussion instruments. These instruments can be combined in any number of quantitative ways. Typically, there are two or more of each part in a single band, creating a sharper, more strong sound.http://www.theconcertband.com/Instruments.htm
Featured
This video shows the Purdue University Symphonic Band, an excellent example of a Concert Band in an academic, University-based setting. They are playing "The Chimes of Liberty", a military marchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimes_of_Liberty. Sometimes, Concert Bands play music that would typically be associated with marching bands, without the movement typically associated with those pieces. However, Concert Bands also play unique pieces, especially classical musichttp://www.theconcertband.com/interpretation.htm.
Concert Band Products and Merchandise
References
Fast Facts
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Also known as
Wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, and wind ensemble
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Size
20-100 Musicians
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Fact:
Though not marching ensembles, concert bands occasionally play marching band repertoire.
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Fact:
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Fact:
Repertoire tends towards Classical music.
