EATON — In what has become a tradition with the Eaton Area Community Band, the group will once again share a concert with the Ohio Valley British Brass Band. The free concert will take place on Friday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Eaton Community Schools Performing Arts Center.

With the exception of the two years off due to Covid, this combined concert has taken place since for the last nine years.

The OVBBB is a semi-professional group consisting of 40 brass and percussion players. They rehearse at Wright State University and have regular performances at Christmas, in the spring, and early summer. The Eaton concert is their longest-running regular performance. Their musical selections run from sublimely beautiful to fast and furious, showing off the talent and virtuosity of the players. The participants in the band are all volunteers. Many of them are current or retired music educators.

Another tradition is for the two bands to combine for several selections at the end of the concert. This is always a thrill for both the audience and the musicians.

This year the concert will conclude with the finale from Stravinsky’s The Firebird, which is said to be one of the greatest musical endings ever written.