Sounds of the yuletide season

Mike Sciacca

Huntington Beach Central Library Theater will be decked out in

holiday fashion Sunday, the sounds of the season set to warm the

venue when the Huntington Beach Concert Band presents its annual

Holiday Concert.

Tom Ridley, band director for the past 27 years, will lead the

65-piece brass, wind and percussion ensemble through a variety of

popular holiday carols and music.

“We will offer some familiar, and not-so familiar, carols and

songs and also get the audience involved in a sing-a-long,” Ridley

said. “We just want everybody to come out and have fun, enjoy some

relaxation away from the stresses of the holiday.”

The band, now in its 31st year, held a rehearsal Tuesday for

Sunday’s show.

It worked on fine-tuning a program that is set to include such

holiday fare selections as A Canadian Brass Noel, Fantasy on Coventry

Carol, Cantique de Noel, Home for Christmas, Christmas in Europe,

White Christmas, a medley of traditional carols, favorites for

children, and a Holiday Prism, which features various sections of the

band playing holiday favorites.

“It’s all about spreading holiday cheer,” said Lloyd Glick, first

trumpet player in the ensemble, who took park in Tuesday’s rehearsal.

“I’ve been doing this a long, long time, and it’s a fun concert.”

Glick served as band manager for 20 years and is one of five

members to have been with the band since its inception in 1973, he

said.

Prior to finding a home at the Huntington Beach Central Library

Theater, the band, he said, gave Christmas concerts at malls and

various locations.

The 80-year-old will play first trumpet on Sunday.

“I’m looking forward to another fun night of holiday music,” said

Glick, who still plays the trumpet up to four times per week.

Glick, who said he first took up the instrument at age 10, is an

official bugler for the Los Angeles Police Dept., a reserve officer

in its honor guard and member of the department’s band.

He also is a member of the West Coast Brass Quintet and Golden

State British Brass Band.

He said he also plays Taps on a regular basis at the funerals of

war veterans.

“All of this, basically, is recreational activity for me but I

really enjoy it,” he said. “We do this holiday concert to add to the

festivities of the season.”

Several of the band’s 65 members live in Huntington Beach and

throughout Orange County.

One of its members, principal tuba player Lyle Lundstrom, will

take on the role of Tubby the Tuba Sunday.

It is a fantasy piece that, Ridley said, has to do with the “poor

guy in the band who never gets to play the big number.”

In addition to being part of the Huntington Beach Concert Band,

Lundstrom has performed with the Seattle Symphony, Long Beach

Symphony, La Mirada Symphony, Claremont Symphonic Winds and, like

Glick, with the Golden State British Brass Band.

Despite having back surgery three weeks ago, Lundstrom will play

the role of Tubby, a band character who is being resurrected

following a 15-year hiatus, Ridley said.

“The concert is all about everyone coming out and having a good

time,” Ridley said. “Our goal with our music, is to get everybody

into the holiday spirit.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].