Vienna Community Band

3 DAYS TO GO! 🎶⏳

The Vienna Community Band is officially in the home stretch for our Walk on the Hill performance! We’ve been polishing the marches, perfecting the fanfares, and we can't wait to share this music with you in the beautiful setting of Ayr Hill.

Whether you’re looking for the lush melodies of the English countryside or the cinematic thrills of the Caribbean, our program has something for everyone. It’s the perfect way to spend a spring afternoon!

📍 Where: Walk on the Hill
🗓️ When: Sunday, April 26
🕒 Time: 3:00 PM
🎟️ Admission: Free!
Grab a lawn chair or a blanket, bring the family, and join us for a local favorite tradition. We’ll see you on the hill!

About the event: https://www.viennava.gov/Events-directory/Walk-on-the-Hill

A stroll through the English countryside, right here in Vienna! 🌳🇬🇧

Composed in 1923, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ English Folk Song Suite was a groundbreaking moment for wind bands. Before this piece, military bands mostly played transcriptions of orchestral works or simple marches. Vaughan Williams—who famously spent years traveling the rural hills of England to collect and preserve traditional songs—treated the band as a serious artistic medium, creating a masterpiece that remains a cornerstone of our repertoire over 100 years later.

The suite is a vibrant tapestry of nine different folk tunes woven into three distinct movements:
March ("Seventeen Come Sunday"): A jaunty, rhythmic opening featuring "Pretty Caroline" and "Dives and Lazarus."
Intermezzo ("My Bonny Boy"): A hauntingly beautiful and lyrical movement that shows off the band's expressive depth.
March ("Folk Songs from Somerset"): A spirited finale that brings together tunes like "Blow Away the Morning Dew" and "John Barleycorn."

Experience the lush harmonies and timeless melodies of the British Isles in the beautiful setting of Ayr Hill.
📍 Where: Walk on the Hill (Vienna, VA)
🗓️ When: Sunday, April 26th at 3:00 PM.
🎟️ Admission: Free!

Tour the historic Windover Heights district landscaped gardens and celebrate spring! This annual event is held on Windover Avenue between Lewis Street and Lawyers Road.

Held each year since 1974, Walk on the Hill is perhaps Vienna's loveliest event, offering self-guided tours through approximately 50 participating yards and gardens in the Town's historic Windover Heights neighborhood. Live entertainment, exhibits, and refreshments.

Avast, ye music lovers! We’re weighing anchor and heading for the high seas. 🏴‍☠️⚔️

Originally composed by Klaus Badelt (with a legendary assist from Hans Zimmer), the soundtrack to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl redefined the modern "adventure" sound. John Wasson’s masterful arrangement for wind band captures every bit of that swashbuckling spirit, bringing the epic scale of the silver screen to the hills of Vienna.

Hold onto your hats—this piece is a rhythmic powerhouse! From the mysterious opening of "The Medallion Calls" to the driving, iconic 6/8 gallop of "He’s a Pirate," it’s a non-stop tour de force. Listen for the thunderous low brass themes, the lightning-fast woodwind flourishes, and a percussion section that provides the heartbeat of the entire voyage. It’s bold, heroic, and undeniably fun.

Don't miss our final "X" on the map! Join the VCB for a cinematic finish to a beautiful afternoon.
📍 Where: Walk on the Hill (Vienna, VA)
🗓️ When: Sunday, April 26th at 3:00PM
🎟️ Admission: Free!

Tour the historic Windover Heights district landscaped gardens and celebrate spring! This annual event is held on Windover Avenue between Lewis Street and Lawyers Road.

Held each year since 1974, Walk on the Hill is perhaps Vienna's loveliest event, offering self-guided tours through approximately 50 participating yards and gardens in the Town's historic Windover Heights neighborhood. Live entertainment, exhibits, and refreshments.

Ready for something a little quirky? 🤪🎶

Composed in 1943, Sergei Prokofiev’s March, Op. 99 was originally written specifically for a military band radio broadcast. At a time when the world was embroiled in conflict, Prokofiev delivered a piece that was unexpectedly sunny, spirited, and just a bit mischievous.

This isn't your standard "oom-pah" march. It features Prokofiev’s signature "wrong-note" modernism—sudden, playful harmonic shifts that keep the listener on their toes. Listen for the jaunty woodwind themes and the crisp, driving percussion that gives the piece its irrepressible energy. It’s sophisticated, rhythmic, and quintessentially Prokofiev.

Come hear the VCB bring this modern classic to life in the open air!
📍 Where: Walk on the Hill (Vienna, VA)
🗓️ When: Sunday, April 26th at 3:00PM
🎟️ Admission: Free!

Tour the historic Windover Heights district landscaped gardens and celebrate spring! This annual event is held on Windover Avenue between Lewis Street and Lawyers Road.

Held each year since 1974, Walk on the Hill is perhaps Vienna's loveliest event, offering self-guided tours through approximately 50 participating yards and gardens in the Town's historic Windover Heights neighborhood. Live entertainment, exhibits, and refreshments.

A moment of pure, musical serenity. 🛶✨

While the origins of the "Shenandoah" melody are shrouded in mystery—ranging from tales of a pioneer in love with a chieftain's daughter to a song of longing for the river itself—Frank Ticheli’s 1999 arrangement has become a definitive modern classic. Ticheli’s goal was to capture the "freedom and beauty of the folk song" while reflecting the pulsing, ever-changing nature of the river.

This isn't just a simple arrangement; it’s a masterclass in orchestration. Listen for the lush, sustained chords in the brass that seem to shimmer like light on water. The piece builds to a breathtaking, high-tension climax that feels like a wave breaking, before fading back into a quiet, peaceful reflection. It’s a work of deep soul and technical delicacy.

Take a deep breath and let the music wash over you.
📍 Where: Walk on the Hill (Vienna, VA)
🗓️ When: Sunday, April 26th
🎟️ Admission: Free!

Tour the historic Windover Heights district landscaped gardens and celebrate spring! This annual event is held on Windover Avenue between Lewis Street and Lawyers Road.

Held each year since 1974, Walk on the Hill is perhaps Vienna's loveliest event, offering self-guided tours through approximately 50 participating yards and gardens in the Town's historic Windover Heights neighborhood. Live entertainment, exhibits, and refreshments.

We’re kicking off our "Walk on the Hill" performance with a burst of British brilliance! 🎺🎶

Composed in 1939, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Flourish for Wind Band was originally written as a grand opening for the "Music and the People" pageant at the Royal Albert Hall. Though it was lost for many years, its rediscovery in 1971 restored a powerful, concise masterpiece to the wind band repertoire.

In just under two minutes, Vaughan Williams captures a sense of regal pageantry. The piece opens with a bold, rhythmic fanfare in the brass, followed by a sweeping, lyrical melody in the woodwinds that reflects the composer’s deep love for English folk song style. It’s a masterclass in "brief but mighty" orchestration, shifting seamlessly from brilliant heights to a rich, resonant conclusion.

Join us as we fill the air with these iconic sounds!
📍 Where: Walk on the Hill (Vienna, VA)
🗓️ When: Sunday, April 26th at 3:00 PM.
🎟️ Admission: Free!

Tour the historic Windover Heights district landscaped gardens and celebrate spring! This annual event is held on Windover Avenue between Lewis Street and Lawyers Road.

Held each year since 1974, Walk on the Hill is perhaps Vienna's loveliest event, offering self-guided tours through approximately 50 participating yards and gardens in the Town's historic Windover Heights neighborhood. Live entertainment, exhibits, and refreshments.

🎺 More Than Just Music: It’s Science! 🩺

Happy ! Did you know that being part of the Vienna Community Band is actually a boost for your health?

Science shows that playing in an ensemble does more than just sound good—it makes you feel good:

🧠 Brain Power: Playing an instrument engages both hemispheres of the brain, improving memory and cognitive "fitness."

📉 Stress Relief: Making music has been proven to lower cortisol levels and boost the immune system.

❤️ Heart Health: Music can actually help regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

🤝 Connection: Playing together releases oxytocin, the "bonding hormone" that helps us stay connected and happy.

Whether you're in the audience or on the stage, music is medicine for the soul and the body. 🎶✨

Does a specific instrument or song help you de-stress? 🎷 Share your favorites in the comments below!



https://youtu.be/Ltzhw4Zcucc?si=9_DOFl44dE6-0BUV

What an incredible afternoon of music! 🎶

​A huge thank you to everyone who joined us today at Oakton High School for Ascension! We were so moved to see such a wonderful turnout as we celebrated our Golden Jubilee 50th Anniversary season. Your support is what has kept the Vienna Community Band thriving for five decades.
​From the opening notes of Flourish to our high-energy finale with Pirates, it was a joy to share this milestone with you.

​A special shout-out to Fox 5 DC for joining us and capturing the performance! If you couldn't make it in person or want to relive the music, you can watch the full recording of the concert here:

​📺 Watch the Concert: https://www.youtube.com/live/NBsy68BotVI?si=HYTxeoYkFNdf1JT_

​Thank you for being part of our story. Here’s to the next 50 years! 🥂🎷🎺

​

LIVE: Vienna Community Band in Concert | FOX 5 DC It’s concert day, Vienna! Join us this afternoon at Oakton High School for a powerful, exciting, and completely free performance by your Vienna Community Ban...

We can't wait to see everyone there!

Don't miss a special celebration of Vienna's local history and our nation's 250th anniversary! Everyone's invited to the premiere performance of "Archer Overture," a new piece honoring Vienna educator Louise Archer, performed by the Vienna Community Band today, March 22, at 3 p.m. at Oakton High School. More: https://bit.ly/Vienna250.

🎶 TODAY at 3 PM — Don’t Miss the Vienna Community Band in Concert! 🎺

It’s concert day, Vienna! Join us this afternoon at Oakton High School for a powerful, exciting, and completely free performance by your Vienna Community Band.

We’re performing a fantastic mix of audience favorites, cinematic hits, celebrated wind‑band classics, and a world premiere by composer Dr. Gary Nash. This is one of our most dynamic programs of the year — perfect for families, friends, music lovers, and anyone looking for a great local Sunday event.

📅 TODAY – Sunday, March 23
⏰ 3:00 PM
📍 Oakton High School Auditorium
💛 Free admission – open to all!

Bring a neighbor, bring your family, and help us fill the hall for an unforgettable afternoon of live music right here in Vienna. We can’t wait to see you today!