Madison Community Band’s Christmas schedule includes three concerts this year. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Madison Community Band (MCB) has scheduled three Christmas concerts this year as it closes out its 24th concert season.

“I want to encourage folks in the area to come out for our Christmas concerts this year,” MCB Music Director and Conductor Dave Ryan said.

On Nov. 12, MCB performed at “Host of Christmas Past Festival” in Fayetteville, Tenn. at the Courthouse Lawn Bandstand at 2 p.m. The band has appeared at the event for 20 years.

On Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., the MCB Christmas Concert will be held at Grace United Methodist Church, 2113 Old Monrovia Road in Huntsville’s Providence area.

“We’re most excited about this year’s program, as we will present four new selections,” Ryan said. “These will feature fresh arrangements of familiar holiday music and some tunes you don’t hear much today, including classic Christmas Americana.”

MCB will appear at Bridge Street Town Centre on Dec. 10 at 1 p.m. The band will perform at the centre’s Christmas Tree. “We usually have a visit from Santa, who takes a little time out to be our guest conductor,” MCB member Bryan Cobb said.

MCB will perform a range of Christmas music, from carols to holiday rhapsodies, sing-alongs, old favorites and new excursions:

* “Up on the Housetop” — Second-oldest American Christmas song.
* “A Holiday Celebration” — Medley of tunes wrapped around “Over the River and Through the Woods.”
* “The Twelve Days of Christmas” – Sing-along that echoes classical themes.
* “An American Christmas” — Medley infusing holiday music with truly American styles.
* “A Holiday Gallop” — Fast-paced medley that hearkens back to Victorian Christmas dances.
* “Celtic Carol” — Ancient tune wedded to rhythms of Celtic winter festivals.
* “A Christmas Festival” and “Sleigh Ride” — Leroy Anderson classics.

“This year’s band features more than 60 musicians, our largest group ever. They are all volunteers that range from middle, high school and college students to working folks and retirees,” Ryan said.

“They’ve been working very hard for months to bring Christmas cheer to the Tennessee Valley, but they have also been having fun,” Ryan said.

For more information, visit m-c-b.org or Facebook/Madison Community Band.