Kiwanis Club's Holiday Concert Wows the Crowd

The Kiwanis Club of Wilton rang in the holiday season with a special selection of big band music from The Fairfield Counts over the weekend.

The band played to a full house Saturday evening in The Clune Center for the Arts at Wilton High School. The evening marked the 29th annual Kiwanis Club of Wilton holiday concert.

"The Counts," as they are popularly known, are considered one of the premier big bands on the East Coast. They were formed in 1976 by Harvey Tuckman, a retired Norwalk optomologist. He said he wanted to "play the music of his youth and to perpetuate the sound of big bands."

 Tuckman still leads the group of seventeen musicians, including a musical director and superb female vocalist, Michelle Grace.

"I tour with the band all year, "said Grace, "but Christmas is my favorite time of all. It is my favorite music."

At Saturday night's concert, holiday favorites like "Jingle Bells," "Jolly Old St. Nick," and "Let It Snow" boomed through the theater. Thirteen horns, drums, guitar, piano and bass all added to the beautiful, smooth melody of Grace's voice.

The concert ended with an audience-a-long to requested favorites from the 1940's.
The "Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky was the last number of the night in honor of the season.

People clapped and sang along to their old favorites all night. The magical Christmas trees that framed the stage added to the festive feel of the music and the cold December night.

General admission tickets were $20.  Sponsor, patron and benefactor tickets were available for $40, $60 and $80. Net proceeds will be distributed to the community charities and organizations through the Kiwanis Foundation.

For further information go here or call (203) 604-9014.