Group brings big band sound to concert and workshops

Randolph — Denver & The Mile High Orchestra will appear in concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, in the auditorium of the Bethlehem Church at 758 Route 10 in Randolph. Formed by a group of friends at Nashville's Belmont University in 1999, this exceptional group of musicians is comprised of three trumpet players, three saxophone players, two trombone players and a rhythm section. Since then, the group has traveled around the globe, performing at churches, conferences and festivals, taking their electrifying horn-driven sound to the masses. The big band sound of the 30s and 40s had long intrigued Denver Bierman, who had played the trumpet for 16 years, so he assembled a group of musician-friends to reinvent the style for the modern age. "I grew up listening to hip-hop, rock and pop, to all those genres," said Denver, who is the group's band leader, lead vocalist and music arranger. "So I wanted to take the best of today and the best of yesterday and mix them up." The orchestra has appeared on national and international broadcasts, at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, at the Presidential Inauguration Ball in 1997, has toured throughout Europe and the United States, and recently was the featured band at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, playing two original numbers and serving as the house band on the televised event. Sponsored jointly by Relevantcds.com, the Chester and Washington Christian Bookstores, PowerSurge Worship Ministries and F.A.I.T.H. Center for the Arts, the concert will be preceded with workshops offered by band members. At 4 p.m., workshops will offer beginning and advanced improvisation, the business of music, composing, arranging, producing, how to play as a rhythm section, and how to be a section player as horns. The workshops will be located throughout the church building, one and a half hour in length, and limited in size. A complimentary dinner will follow at 5:30 p.m. Combo tickets for the workshop, dinner and concert are $25 each; for group registrations, every tenth ticket is free. Concert tickets are $15 each. Directions to the church can be found at bethlehemchurch.org/contact.php. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit relevantcds.com and hit the tickets link, or visit powersurgeworship.com. For background or sound bytes on the orchestra, visit denvermho.com.