Blue Ridge Community College has recently changed its mask policy from required to optional, with a very strong recommendation that masks be worn in large group settings. ​

Blue Ridge Community College has recently changed its mask policy from required to optional, with a very strong recommendation that masks be worn in large group settings. In keeping with this new policy of the college, masks will be optional at our December 5 concert, but also with the recommendation that masks be worn. Proof of vaccination or a negative covid test result as on December 3rd, 4th or 5th is still required. Thank you all so very much for your support and understanding in these difficult times. We are so humbled to be playing for you once again! 

The Hendersonville Community Band is delighted to announce their return, under the baton of Winford Franklin, to the Concert Stage on December 5, 2021 with “Sounds of the Season,” a collection of Holiday music to warm your hearts. Among the selections, you will hear favorites including “Silent Night,” “The First Noel,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Midnight Sleighride,” “A Most Wonderful Christmas,” “When St. Nick Comes Marching In,” and “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” A premier performance by a newly formed Flute Choir comprised of HCB members and an audience sing-a-along will add to the enjoyment.
The performance will be on stage in the Technology Building at Blue Ridge Community College. Tickets are available at the Chamber of Commerce, The Crate Wine Market, and at the door. Adults are $10.00 and students are free. Masks and vaccination proof or a negative rapid test the day of or the day before the concert are required of audience members. HCB members performing in this concert are all fully vaccinated. Please check the HCB website HCBmusic.com for any updates.

The HCB Board of Directors met on the evening of 9/7 and, after very careful consideration of many factors pertaining to the safety and well-being of our members, their families, and the community at large, made the decision to cancel the October concert and the rehearsals leading up to the concert. As we all very much want to play together, this was a difficult decision and we, like you, are disappointed.

Thank you as always for your patience and support. 
Stay safe and be well.

-HCB Board of Directors

We finally have concert dates for our 2021/2022 season! We have really missed you all and are very excited to be playing for you once again. This is an exciting year for us as we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary in our 31st year! 

​Here are the long awaited concert dates.
Blue Ridge Community College in the Conference Hall.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:00pm 
December 5th, 2021 at 3:00pm 
March 6th, 2022 at 3:00pm 
May 1st, 2022 at 3:00pm 

Tickets: Adults $10; Students Free. (Taxes included)

The hall has open seating and there is plenty of free handicap accessible parking behind the hall. Tickets are available from Hendersonville Visitors Information Center on Main St., the Crate Wine Market, Laurel Park, at the door on the day, or from any band member.

We can't wait to see you all again. And thank you for your continued love for music and the support of this community band. 

From the band members to the audience we play for, that we miss you all terribly. We know that these are strange times but we can only get through this together. We hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being such dedicated supporters of this band. 

Keeara Allen- Social Media Manager/Website

Your board members are still having their meetings and wanted to express how much we miss playing and seeing you all. And we hope you all are getting some practice in! Stay safe and we hope to see you all sooner than later.

-The Board

The April 26th HCB concert is cancelled, as are all rehearsals in preparation for the concert. The first concern is the well-being of our members and their families. We have a number of members who are high-risk for Covid 19 complications.
West Henderson HS will not allow outside groups on campus for the duration of the corona virus problem.
NC Governor, Roy A. Cooper, has requested that there be no gatherings of more than 50 people. He stated that this will become mandatory if there is a lack of voluntary compliance.
This is, of course, disappointing for all of us, but a necessary precaution. Take good care of yourselves and, hopefully, the Apple Festival will go on!

Carol Talbot
President HCB

A great way to support HCB is to donate what you would have spent at the concert by hitting the donate button. We appreciate all of you and we thank you for your continued support and love for music. Stay safe and we hope to see you all at Apple Festival!

Keeara Allen
Socaial Media Manger & Website

Jason DeCristofaro is a music educator, performer, and composer based in Asheville, NC. He is adjunct faculty at Warren Wilson College (where he directs the Jazz Ensemble and teaches Jazz Improvisation, Applied Percussion, and Applied Piano), A-B Technical Community College (where he teaches Music Theory, Jazz History and Music Appreciation), and Isothermal Community College, where he teaches Music Appreciation. Jason holds a Master of Music in Performance (UNC-School of the Arts), Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences (UNC-Asheville), Bachelors of Music in Performance (Brevard College), and is currently working towards his Doctorate in Music Education (Boston University). 

The winner and recipient of the 2011 Yamaha/Percussive Arts Society Terry Gibbs Scholarship, an international scholarship competition for jazz vibraphonists, DeCristofaro has performed as a clinician and guest artist at numerous jazz festivals, conferences, and universities throughout the Southeast, including the Brevard Music Center (Brevard, NC), Furman University (Greenville, SC), Johnson City Jazz Festival (Johnson City, TN), The Eastern Trombone Conference (Washington, D.C.), Jazz on the Square (Spartanburg, SC), Carl Sandburg Festival (Flat Rock NC), Jazz on Main (Greenville, SC), Concerts on the Quad (UNC-Asheville), Sourwood Festival (Black Mountain, NC), Carl Sandburg Festival (Flat Rock, NC), Western Carolina University Jazz Festival (Cullowhee, NC), Appalachian State University (Boone, NC), University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC), and North Greenville University (Tigerville, SC). DeCristofaro is also a staff writer for Classical Voice of NC (CVNC) and has been musical director and host of Jazz Night at The Phoenix & The Fox in Brevard, NC for five and a half years.
A published composer with C. Alan Publications, Jason’s concert works have been performed in New Zealand, China, Sweden, and throughout the United States, and he has been a featured guest composer with the Symphony of the Mountains, The Asheville Ballet, and the Asheville Jazz Orchestra. He is also the founder and artistic director of Asheville Composer Concerts. DeCristofaro has presented at Harvard University for the International Journal of Arts and Sciences (IJAS), Virginia Tech for the Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy (CHEP), and Black Mountain College Museum.

Information found on ​https://amicimusic.org/performers/jason-decristofaro/

​Conductor Winford Franklin and the members of HCB are looking forward to presenting a wonderful program as we anticipate Spring. A highlight of this concert will be widely-known percussionist Jason Decristofaro as soloist for “Concertino for Solo Percussionist and Band.” This piece highlights three stations of percussion instruments. The first station is five timpani; the second station is marimba and vibraphone; the third station is drum set, including snare drum, bass drum, Tom-toms, and cymbals.
Our guest conductor, band member Joe Brasier, will conduct two pieces, “Sousa in Swing” which is different take on some of the well-known Sousa marches, and “This Majestic Land,” in his usual fine style.
The remainder of the program is under the baton of Winford Franklin and will include
among others, one that is special to us, “Travelin’ Music” by Robert Sheldon who composed a commissioned piece for the band’s 25th anniversary. Some of the other pieces are “Satiric Dances,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Broadway Spectacular.”
Join us as we Spring Ahead on Sunday March 8, at 3:00 in the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall in Flat Rock. Adults $10.00, Students are free! I if you attend college, please bring your student ID for your free ticket. Tickets are available at Crate Wine Market, the Hendersonville Visitor’s Center, as well as at the door and from any band member. For more information, call (828) 713-8590.