VIEW MORE PHOTOS | ‘Bravo!’ concert with Atlanta Freedom Bands
A crowd of spectators was there to applaud Atlanta Freedom Bands on Sunday as the local concert band took on visiting LGBT musicians and challenging material for its biggest concert to date.
The sounds and excitement over the “Bravo! A Night at the Opera” concert swelled as some 20 guest instrumentalists in the national Lesbian & Gay Band Association expanded AFB’s ranks.
The extra booms and blasts allowed the usually 35-person ensemble to tackle the likes of Wagner, Mozart, Verdi and Puccini, to name a few.
“Having more people in town helps us perform and explore pieces we normally just can’t fulfill,” AFB President Cliff Norris told Project Q Atlanta before the big night.
“The world of opera was a natural,” he added. “It’s grand in scale and exciting for musicians to play.”
After the concert, musicians celebrated their achievement with audience members at a festive reception. AFB’s concert band and marching band—their ranks also include a jazz ensemble and a color guard—practice each Sunday at Saint Paul United Methodist church in southeast Atlanta, and the group is always welcoming new members.
Got an instrument in the closet? “It needs to come out,” Norris said.
Photos by Sher Pruitt
