A few days ago, Doug reached out from the Markham Concert Band to let Brits in Toronto know that they are a presenting a concert titled MCB’s British Invasion on October 23, 2022 in the Flato Markham Theatre.

From the promo: “What do you get when you cross ‘Night at the Proms’ with ‘A Beatles Tribute’? We’ll play your favourite Beatles tunes, but also revisit the classic tunes of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. And we’ll finish, of course, with Pomp and Circumstance, complete with ‘Land of Hope and Glory.’ We’ll even give you a Union Jack to wave!”

We thought that this concert might be a cool event so asked Doug for some more info …

Tell us a little of the history and how people can become a member of the Markham Concert Band. Are there any Brits involved?

Since 1978, Markham Concert Band has been all about the love of music. Sixty members, ranging in age from their ’20s to their ’80s, meet every Monday to rehearse a wide variety of music.

Amazingly, three of our founding members are still with the Band, and 12 members have been with us for more than 20 years. It proves what a wonderful group the Band is dedicated to music but also to having fun rehearsing and performing together. We have a least one British expatriate in our group and many more members of British descent.

What is your role in the organization and what do you do for the Markham Concert Band?

Our band has an executive committee that manages the band operations. Our conductor, Doug Manning, leads all musical aspects of the band. My role on the executive is vice president. I am responsible for booking concerts, preparing grant applications and acting as president when the president is away. We have a great group of volunteers that run the band.

What style of music does the Markham Concert Band play and does it vary?

We play a wide variety of music. At the Band’s four shows held annually at the Flato Markham Theatre and at our many outdoor shows during the summer, audiences enjoy music from marches and movie themes to Broadway hits and rock classics like Bohemian Rhapsody.

What’s the inspiration behind the British Invasion event and what other bands are being covered apart from The Beatles? What can attendees expect?

We thought combining “Night at the Proms” and British pop music would make a very entertaining afternoon for music lovers of all tastes. There are so many great Beatles tunes that we decided to focus the pop content of our show on the Fab Four.

Anything else you want Brits in Toronto to know about the Markham Concert Band?

The show will be introduced by Markham’s own Town Crier John Webster (a former world champion crier). We’ll feature folk tunes from the British Isles, as well some terrific medleys of your favourite Beatles tunes.

The show will end with a rousing rendition of Land of Hope and Glory, with complementary Union Jacks for all attendees.

You can check out some of our prior performances on our YouTube channel.

Here’s a taste of them in action: