Community band concert returns Dec. 6

Dec. 2—The Cullman Community Band will be ushering in the holidays with its annual free Christmas concert on Dec. 6.

The concert will take place at the Cullman High School auditorium, and will begin at 7 p.m.

For those wanting to hear an outdoor performance with some cooler temperatures to go along with their tunes, the band will also be performing at 1 p.m. on Dec. 11 during the city of Cullman's Christkindlmarkt at the Festhalle, said Conductor Garry Taylor.

He said Monday night's concert will feature a wide range of Christmas music from traditional to modern, with everything from classic carols, some Jazz-oriented songs and even one or two Russian holiday tunes.

"It's a wide variety of Christmas selections," he said.

Taylor said there are currently around 50 members of the community band, including many former members of local high school bands who wanted to continue playing music after graduating, as well as several members who have moved to Cullman from another state and brought their musical talents with them.

There are also several current or retired band directors who take part in the concerts when they have the chance, he said.

"There's a good bit of talent here," he said.

The Cullman Community Band was unable to host a Christmas concert last year because of the pandemic, but its members started working on this year's show as soon as their performance at Oktoberfest was over, and it should serve as a nice starting point for the community's celebration of the holidays, Taylor said.

"I think it's a good way to get the holiday season off to a good festive start, musically," he said.