Glenn Miller Orchestra

APRIL 28 (SAT) at 7:30PM

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The world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Nick Hilscher, Singer/Director, is one of the few full time touring Big Bands today.  The Glenn Miller sound is unique, featuring woodwinds in a special harmonic arrangement, plus of course the wonderful singing group, the Modernaires.
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Series:
Civic Music Concert Series
Date:
April 28, 2018 | Saturday
Time:
7:30 pm
Location:
Albert Lea High School Auditorium
Status: 
Season tickets on sale Summer 2017
Price: 
$95 Family
$45 Adult
$15 Students under age 30
glennmillerorchestra.com
     Alton Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, IA in 1904 but it was in North Platte, NE several years later that Glenn actually got his musical start when his father brought home a mandolin.  Glenn promptly traded it for an old battered horn which he practiced every chance he got.  After spending some time at the University of Colorado Glenn dropped out to concentrate on his hoped for career as a professional musician.
     As his career grew he played and recorded with the likes of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa and others.  He later went on to organize the Ray Noble Orchestra.  In 1935 Glenn recorded for the first time, under his own name.  In 1937 he formed his own band, but it was not to be. It was during this disheartening time that Glenn developed his unique sound produced by the clarinet holding the melody line while the tenor sax plays the same note and they are supported harmonically by three other saxophones – producing a recognizable style that would set his band apart from all the rest.
     Formed in 1938, the second Glenn Miller Orchestra began breaking records all up and down the East Coast and was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall with three of the greatest bands ever – Paul Whiteman, Fred Waring and Benny Goodman…and created more of a stir than any of them.  There were record-breaking recordings as well, such as “Tuxedo Junction”, which sold 115,000 recordings in the first week.  Then there was Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” radio series for Chesterfield cigarettes which aired 3 times a week over CBS.  In 1941 he was off to Hollywood where the band did its first movie, Sun Valley Serenade which introduced the song – and soon-to-be million selling record – “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and featured the Modernaires.
     The war was starting to take its toll of musicians and Alton Glenn Miller reported for induction into the Army on October 7, 1942 and was assigned to the Army Air Corps where he ultimately organized the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band.  In late 1943 he and the band were shipped out to England.  There in less than a year they made over 800 performances.  In the fall of 1944 the band was scheduled to be sent on a 6-week tour of Europe and would be stationed in Paris during that time.  Miller decided to go ahead in order to make the proper arrangements.  On December 15th Glenn Miller boarded a transport plane to Paris, never to be seen again.
     ​In his book “Glenn Miller & His Orchestra”, George Simon wrote this about the man. “His favorite author was Damon Runyon. His favorite book was the Bible. Spencer Tracy and Olivia de Havilland were his favorite movie actor and actress. His big loves were trout fishing, playing baseball, listening to good music, sleep and money. His pet hates were bad swing, early-morning telephone calls (he liked to sleep from 4 a.m. to noon), and the phrase ‘goodbye now’. His favorite quotation, one he stated, was not from the Bible, nor from Runyon, but from Duke Ellington: ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing If it Ain’t Got that Swing!’
Glenn Miller Hits
  • Tuxedo Junction
  • Moonlight Serenade
  • Chattanooga Choo Choo
  • Sunrise Serenade
  • Stairway to the Stars
  • Over The Rainbow
  • When You Wish Upon a Star
  • Blueberry Hill
  • In The Mood
  • String of Pearls
  • Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree
  • I’ve Got a Gal