Ramona Town Hall Brass Band to ring in the season
Ramona’s town band, the Ramona Town Hall Brass Band, will be among the highlights at the Ramona Christmas Tree Lighting event on Saturday, Dec. 5. Sponsored by the Ramona Chamber of Commerce, the annual Christmas festivities will be held at the Ramona Outdoor Community Park Pavilion off Aqua Lane.
The band will be performing typical carols of the season and will lend an old-fashioned touch to the tree lighting event.
The size of the band is usually between 10 and 20 musicians, but for the Christmas season the band includes woodwind players to add that extra timbre and color only the reeds can bring.
Bandmaster Kenneth J. Serfass extends an invitation to all adult musicians living in Ramona who feel the need to get out those old, dusty instruments, clean them up and join the band at Town Hall on Monday nights for rehearsals.
“For all others, if you enjoy Christmas music, then you are welcome to come by and catch our rehearsals,” said Serfass. “We are there every week from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The Tree Lighting isn’t the end of the line for the band’s holiday season. The musicians are part of the activities at the San Pasqual battlefield the next day. The state park will host a full day of history with two re-enactments of the battle from the Mexican-American War of 1846, living history encampments and period music provided by the Ramona band.
The last event for the band this season will be a concert at the Ramona Mainstage on Dec. 19 at 2 p.m.
“The idea to give back to Ramona and support the efforts this time of year to help others inspired me to do this concert,” said Serfass. “Where I grew up back East, almost every small town has its own town band, and this time of year is perfect to relive some of that old-time tradition.”
In the spirit of the holiday, this concert will be for children—of ALL ages, because isn’t that what Christmas is all about, anyway, asked Serfass?
“The birth of a child and the spirit of giving all wrapped into one make this the greatest time of year to me,” he said.
If the free admission price isn’t enough incentive to come see the show, perhaps the special finale with a sing-along and visit by Ol’ St. Nick himself may entice the whole family to take a seat and enjoy the music.
For more information about the concert in Ramona Mainstage, go to the Ramona Town Hall Web page, www.ramonatownhall.com. A page is dedicated to the brass band.
Musicians interested in being part of the band may e-mail the bandmaster at ramonatownband@yahoo.com, “and I will be happy to fill you in on our happenings.”
“The musicians are working hard toward these performances and we hope to do our part to instill the proper spirit as we enter the Christmas Season,” said Serfass, a retired Marine. “Thank you for reading and Semper Fidelis!