By Dan Deming
Dissenting with Dan
They all bowed very well at the end of each number.
They will probably turn out to be the best-dressed musical group to perform in the latest Hutchinson Community Concert season, which opened Saturday, Sept. 20, in Memorial Hall. And they did that by wearing suits, ties, and dress shirts along with matching footwear on a rather warm evening in the old hall.
They also are all talented brass artists, sporting two trumpeters, a French horn, a trombone and a very big tuba for anyone to carry around on stage.
But unless you are a huge brass enthusiast, the M5 Mexican Brass, a classical Latin America quintet featuring four musicians from Mexico and one from Germany, didn’t bring overwhelming entertainment to open the concert associations’ 89th year.
It was billed as a chamber music ensemble that brought a mix of high-class music-making and humor. Perhaps for some, but I found the on-stage antics less than convincing, while narration by the 20-year founding member was sincere and helpful, but lacking much depth and somewhat challenging to understand.
Mexico has some beautiful beaches and memorable countryside, so why not some background video to go with the music?
The Mexican Brass wasn’t the kind of offering that’s going to sell a lot of additional tickets for the five remaining concerts, but you have to book groups when they are available, and that isn’t always the best act to open with.
It will be Nov. 1 before a two-member act called “AmeriCoustic” brings western music, humor and poetry to the Memorial Hall stage.
And the good news for Hutchinson’s most economically priced entertainment is that, unlike some past years, people can still buy $60 adult tickets that let you enjoy all remaining concerts that continue into April of next year. Contact hutchconcerts.com for more information.
The moderate crowd did have something that drew, arguably, the most applause.
President Jay Brown thanked those who took up the save Memorial Hall flag when several months ago, the city manager and council were on the verge of having the historic building torn down. Some at City Hall wanted to make way for a half-baked plan to lengthen Cow Creek under the building and extend Avenue A Park one whole block to link with George Pyle Park.
An outpouring of community sentiment to keep the hall alive and, perhaps, if enough STAR bond money is deemed available, a proposal to air condition and renovate the building for future attractions is now on the horizon.
Dan Deming is a retired media professional and former elected city and county official. He can be reached at 620-960-6733 or dan.deming2@gmail.com.