THE THIRTY-FIRST SEASON
The Lexington Brass Band is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
We operate fully on generous donations from our patrons.
2024-2025
Schedule
Past Programs
The Lexington Brass Band has a long history of professional audio recordings, premiering new music to further the education and enjoyment of the British brass band tradition.
Listen
Master Brass (Live)
- Kentucky – March Download
- There's No Business Like Show Business Download
- Trumpet Call (Trumpet Solo) Download
- Incantation & Dance Download
- Three Kings Swing Download
- Images in Brass Download
- Rebounds Download
- St. Louis Blues Download
- Variations (Euphonium Solo) Download
- Jubilation Download
- The Stars And Stripes Forever Download
HOW YOU CAN
Support Us
The Lexington Brass Band is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
We operate fully on generous donations from our patrons.
We love sharing our music. Attendance at our free concerts means the world to us, but if you wish to support us further, donations are welcome at our events. Can’t afford to support us financially? Follow our social media accounts and help us spread the word about upcoming concerts!
Our Mission
The Lexington Brass Band was founded in the summer of 1992 by a group of area college brass professors interested in the rich repertoire of the British-style brass band. Drs. Ronald Holz and Skip Gray initially served as co-conductors, and President–Vice President respectively. Other key members at that early organizational phase were Vincent DiMartino, David Henderson, Louis Bourgois, Dan Brock, John Surgener, Mike West, and Dale Warren. Very soon several other key brass players and music teachers joined to help form the nucleus of an excellent band, including Jim Willett, Terry Magee, Tanya Bromley, H.M. Lewis, Ken Schubert, and husband and wife team Don and Karen Grammer. The band’s first concert was presented in November 1992, at the Central Christian Church.
What is a Brass Band?
A British brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardized range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around communities and local industry. The Stalybridge Old Band (still in existence) was formed in 1809 and was perhaps the first civilian brass band in the world.
Bands using the British instrumentation are the most common form of brass band in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and are also widespread in continental Europe, Japan and North America. The tradition for brass bands in the UK is continuing, and local communities and schools have brass bands. British band contesting is highly competitive, with bands organized into five sections much like a football league.
Music Director
Dr. William Meckley
Dr. William Meckley is Dean Emeritus of the State University of New York Schenectady School of Music. He was the Music Director of the Empire Jazz Orchestra for twenty-five years, a professional jazz repertory ensemble. In this role, he conducted performances featuring Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson, Dave Holland, Slide Hampton, and many other acclaimed jazz artists. Under his direction, the EJO released seven CDs that received wide airplay on US and European jazz stations.
Dr. Meckley’s work as a trombonist and conductor can be heard on numerous orchestral and jazz/popular music recordings. As a freelance artist, he performed with Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Burt Bacharach, The Manhattan Transfer, Yes, The Temptations, and many other major artists and national Broadway touring shows.
Dr. Meckley earned a Ph.D. from The Eastman School of Music, where his conducting teachers included David Effron and Rayburn Wright. His major trombone instructors include Reginald Fink and George Osborn.
Videos
Enjoy a collection of our concert and rehearsal videos. For more videos, check out our YouTube channel.
