The Southern Stars Symphonic Brass (SSSB) is one of only three professional ensembles of its kind in the U.S., they perform a three-concert series right in Crossville at the beautiful 1200-seat auditorium at Stone Memorial HS.

The series of concerts this season are all scheduled on Sunday afternoons at 3 pm Central and those dates are September 10, November 19, and March 4.

The musicians in this 30-piece ensemble (27 brass instrumentalists and 3-4 percussionists) are top-quality musicians on their instruments and hail from the regions of Nashville, Murfreesboro, Cookeville, Crossville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and southeastern Kentucky who come together to rehearse in Crossville and perform concerts for the enjoyment of residents of the greater Cumberland area.

They include professors of music at the university level, select high school band directors, and skilled musicians from other careers who also have advanced skills as musicians.

As a measure of their reputation in North America, they were invited to perform this past June at the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, KY where they performed three concerts, one of which drew an audience of 6,000.

One audience member remarked, “I have been coming here for 14 straight years, and the SSSB gave the most entertaining and enjoyable concert during that time period.”

The SSSB have produced two CD’s and a DVD which have received very positive comments from international reviewers.

The Sept. concert theme is “Celebration Music,” which will honor their 10 years of providing concerts (see below for more details on that concert).

The Nov. 19 concert theme is “Brass Pops” where selections will showcase classical to popular styles. The last concert of the season is March 4 and the theme is “Bright Lights and Big Screen” which will feature Broadway and movie hits.

The Sept. 10 concert and the other two concerts of this season is supported by the season sponsor, Bed & Biscuit Kennel.

Since this is the 10th anniversary season, the SSSB is planning special drawings and door prizes to be given away at each concert as thanks for the resident support.

The Sept. 10 “Celebration Music” will feature the following selections:
1) “Liberty Fanfare”
2) “Pantomime” -euphonium solo by TTU’s Justin Gorodetzky
3) hymn tune “Beautiful Savior”
4) “Carnival of Venice” – cornet solo by the new TTU trumpet professor Raquel Rodriguez
5) “Manhattan” march
6) “Disney Spectacular” a medley of hits from Disney movies
7) “Fanfare for the Common Man”
8) “Ragtime for Horns” – featuring the Eb Alto horn trio
9) “Barnum & Bailey’s Favorite” – circus march
10) “And the Band Played On”
11) “Morning, Noon, and Night” overture by Von Suppe.

Tickets are now available for purchase at Cumberland Eye Care in Fairfield Glade, First National Bank of Tennessee (branches in Fairfield Glade and Crossville), and at Bed & Biscuit Kennel off of Peavine Road.

Adult tickets are $22/concert and Student tickets are $5/concert. Season tickets for all three concerts are only $50 which is a savings of $16 versus the purchase of individual tickets for each concert.

Artistic Director & Founder Dwight Wages, explains “the season ticket is a particularly good deal as the SSSB offers to exchange tickets for a concert you can not attend, with a replacement ticket to one of the other concert dates. In addition, season ticket holders get seating in a reserved section of the auditorium.”

Wages stated, “We have a loyal season ticket base of 325 and typical average attendance of between 450 to 600. I encourage anyone who has not heard one of our concerts to give us a try, as this many season ticket patrons indicates that we are a very good value and folks are missing out on “Premium Entertainment,” which is our motto for each concert. I have not had a single complaint in 10 years for any disappointment, but only very positive feedback.”

The SSSB is also honored to be part of The Cumberland County Playhouse’s 2017 Concert Series on May 26. This concert is themed Hot Brass & Cool Ballads and will feature jazz, big band stylings, and sweet tunes.

Tickets for that concert will be separately promoted by the Playhouse and will be available in through the Playhouse box office and at http://www.ccplayhouse.com.

For any questions about the SSSB or future concerts, contact Dwight Wages at 931-484-6939.