It was HO HO Humor and Heart-filled Holiday Entertainment in C Street Brass‘s Christmas program in Lincoln Hall on Sunday, December 21 for a sold-out audience that gave them a standing ovation and left the hall glowing with the group’s brotherhood and joyous goodness.
All was well in the world emanating from these self-described friends who “coincidentally are the most handsome men ever to grace the earth.”
While C Street Brass shares the musical and entertainment DNA of a handful of renowned quintets who have created a platform for accessible brass music, this young group brings a unique humanity and a twinkling comedic delight to its engaging stage presence.
Supremely talented virtuosos and improvisatory entertainers, their comedic transitions the Marx Brothers would have loved – especially their nod to the tango’s intertwining leg “hook” with the bravura hand-stand scissors-leg calisthenics of Gabriel Colby with vocal harmony leading into Carlos Gardel’s tango, “Por Una Cabeza,” well known from the film “Scent of a Woman.”
And what about that juggling!
Mixing Christmas tunes with concert repertoire from their recent two month tour of the US (similar to what TAKE3 does), Hakeem Bilal’s Santa hat and second half Christmas attire including a Fa La La Lama sweater complimented their arrangements of touching Christmas carol favorites.
Their technical mastery was displayed in arrangements featuring each of the instrumentalists from Astor Piazzolaa’s “Oblivion” and Gershwin’s “It Ain’t Necessarily So” to Duke Ellington’s “Concerto for Cootie.”
ALL of their theatrical elements and repartee with the audience were pure FUN – fulfilling their intent to create an entertaining frame for classical and brass popular music that engages their audiences. And engaged they were. Their mission to make brass music inspiring to younger generations had its effect on some of the adorable Littles in the audience – some dressed in their Christmas best.
This is the group’s first return to ARCA having made their Lincoln Hall debut in 2015 and performing workshops, assembly concerts and masterclasses in ARCA’s Educational ArtReach program in the Allegheny-Clarion Valley Schools in 2016. It was wonderful to have in the audience a high school trumpet player at that time – Tyler Henery with his wife Summer – as well as family members of Zak Klassen.
In 2026, C Street Brass will be returning to A-C Valley to inspire the next generation with workshops, a master class with brass students and assemblies in the newly renovated High School auditorium…
And they will be back in Lincoln Hall, if you missed them this year!
What a joyous twentieth concert to complete ARCA’s 20th Anniversary Season – and the closing day of the Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop season, exhibiting glorious work of 17 cooperative artists and guest exhibits – all made possible by the generosity of ARCA’s audiences, members and donors.
Sincere gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all those who have supported ARCA over all these years – to create this little arts organization presenting inspiring music and art – with something for everyone – in Foxburg on the beautiful Allegheny.
See you in ARCA’s 2026 Season!