91st Anniversary
Season!!! La Tradizione
Continua!
“Music is the Gospel of the Human
Heart, the Soul of Humanity.” These deeply moving words were often spoken by
Professor Loreto Marsella, the man who founded The
Verdi Band, an Italian-American band in 1920 at the peak of the
immigration phenomenon. Professor Loreto
Marsella, pictured in his handle bar moustache
and stylish white band uniform, immigrated to America with his fellow
countrymen and proudly, and unknowingly, began an enduring musical tradition.
After Marsella’s death in 1964, his son Hector Marsella continued the musical endeavors of his father. Cavalieri Nicola Sorgini
fervently continued the tradition in 1976 upon the news of an illness of Hector.
In 1997, Maestro Sorgini asked Maestro Kenneth C. Laskey to assist him
in continuing the tradition into the 21st century. Now, 90 years later,
the band continues with 30 dedicated
musicians that understand the values and ideals that were handed down to
them by their musical predecessors in 1920. As the band begins the 90th
season, the listeners continue to wipe a tear from their eye when they hear the
beautiful and melodious “Italian Symphonic March” performed in the streets
alongside zealous listeners. In concert, the band continues to play operatic
favorites, Neapolitan folk music, and a plethora of American Music. The band
members celebrate their past successes and look forward to their future ones
with talented musicians from all walks of life. The band takes pride and shares
the talents of soprano soloist, Ms. Jaye W. Green, baritone soloist, Mr. Matthew Zimnoch, and trumpet
soloist, Mr.
|
Concert Selections |
|
|
Hear the Verdi Band at performances throughout the 90th Anniversary Season! Great Themes from Great Italian Movies 7/10/10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZuLAAPuGLs Panis Angelicus
7/10/10: Reginella Campagnola -The Woodpecker Song 7/10/10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwyDfUEfJII Verdi Band and Citizens Bank Park-Italian Heritage
Night! 7/23/10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_JYB4wmP-w |
|
|
|
Jaye W.
Green |
|
Soprano Soloist |
|
|
Ms. Jaye W. Green
joins the Verdi Band as Soprano soloist! Ms. Green graduated with a BS
in Music Education from West Chester State College with dual majors
in voice and piano. She studied voice with professors from Peabody Institute
and Conservatory and Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa. Ms. Green has
been a soloist for the past twenty-five years at Old Zion Lutheran Church of
Philadelphia, Pa. and can be heard every Sunday morning at the 10am
service. She is a member of the Bel Canto
Lyric Opera Company of Philadelphia and performs in the Delaware
Valley. Ms. Green was member and past-president of the Marian Anderson
Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. (NANM), an
historic organization since 1919. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matthew Zimnoch |
|
Baritone Soloist |
|
|
The Verdi Band
welcomes Mathew Zimnoch, baritone soloist to the
band! Mr. Zinoch is a freelance trombonist,
bandleader, and a classically trained baritone singer. As a trombonist,
he has played with the Verdi Band for several years. He also
plays with the house band at Showboat Hotel and Casino, and some of the finest
orchestras, dance and jazz bands including the Joe Claffy
Orchestra (International) and Tex Wyndham's Red Lion Jazz Band of Wilmington,
DE. With his "Dixielanders Traveling Show
Band", he has performed since 1989 for such clients as The Taj Majal & Showboat
Casinos, Coopers and Lybrand, The Philadelphia Zoo, The Orleans Company, Amtrak, The Reading Terminal
Market, and the 2000 Republican National Convention. As a vocalist, he
has perfomred with The Franconia Lancaster Singers,
Center City Opera Theater, the Germantown Oratorio Choir, the Sacred Music
Series of St. Paul's in Doyelstown, and Vox-Amadeus (Kimmel Center). In 2011, he will be
returning to The Franconia-Lancaster Singers to perform as baritone soloist
in the Brahms Requiem. He has performed in many local choral groups and
church choirs and was the music director for the Huntingdon Valley
Presbyterian Church. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rick Garrick |
|
Trumpet Soloist |
|
|
Based in Atlantic City, NJ,
Rick Garrick has performed in many musical settings. Performances with the Boston Pops Orchestra
under the direction of Arthur Fiedler are among his career highlights. Also, engagements in the casino showrooms
backing up such celebrities as Perry Como, Vic Damone,
Toni Tenille and Julio Iglesias are other
highlights. His image is known
internationally because of his duties as bugler at the Atlantic City
Racecourse, the Philadelphia Park Racetrack and the Pennsylvania Derby. Rick is honored to be the principal trumpet
of the New Jersey Brass Quintet.
Because of his accomplishments as a professional educator, he was
invited to participate in music education cultural exchange with the People's
Republic of China in Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maestro Kenneth Laskey |
|
Music Director and Conductor |
|
|
Maestro
Kenneth C. Laskey has performed with the band as a
trombone and euphonium player since 1991 and was elected to be music director
in 1997. He graduated from West Chester University in 1985 with a
BS in Music Education and from Cabrini College in 2009 with a Masters
Degree in Education. He arranged many compositions for the
band including "That's Amore", "I'te
Vurria Vasa", "A
Vuchella", "Non Ti Scordar
Di Me", "Cruda Sorte"
from Rossini's Italian in Algiers, and many hymns. He
composed the march entitled, "O Sciorillo"
in honor of conductor emeritus, Nicola Sorgini. Maestro
Laskey was a scholarship winner to the
Congress of Strings in Cincinnati, Oh. in 1984.
He performed in the Lansdowne Symphony, Garden State Philharmonic, Pottstown
Symphony, and St. Joseph University Orchestra. Currently, he is a free lance
musician in the Greater Philadelphia Area, music educator in the
Norristown Area School District, and principal violist with the Warminster
Symphony Orchestra. Many fans ask Maestro Laskey,
"Are you Italian"? Mr. Laskey's mother
was the daughter of Italian immigrants from the mountainside village, Castelfranci, north of Naples. His father is the son
of Pennsylvania Dutch and Canadian/English descendants. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gayle Traviline, our Guardian
Angel |
|
Guardian Angel |
|
|
The
members of the Verdi Band respectfully mourn the loss of our dear soprano
soloist, Miss Gayle Traviline. In early March
2010, Gayle lost her battle with cancer. Gayle shared her talents
with the Verdi Band for the last 20 years. In this our 90th season, the
band members celebrate the joy that Gayle gave our audiences
at concerts when she sang Italian folk songs, operatic arias,
American folk music and music theater selections. Gayle, we will always
love you and your lovely voice. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maestro Loreto Marsella |
|
Verdi Band Founder |
|
|
Music is the Gospel of the Human Heart, the Soul of
Humanity." These deeply moving
words were often spoken by Professor Loreto Marsella,
the founder of the Verdi Band in 1920 at the peak of the immigration
phenomenon. Professor Marsella's fellow countrymen came to America expecting to
find the streets "paved with gold."
Instead, they quickly learned that life was difficult and they spent
long hours laboring in the mines and foundries of America. They loved America, but they missed their
hometown, too. When the "feast
day" in their respective towns rolled around each year, they felt the
pangs of nostalgia more intensely.
Prof. Marsella knew this and wanted to give
the people something that would allow them to keep their heritage, their
traditions and most of all, their faith.
These then, were the driving forces which caused him to seek out men
who felt as passionately about music as he did, and who shared the same
desire to establish in their new country, the traditions of their
motherland. And so, with about 30 men,
he began the "Verdi Band of Norristown". |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cavaliere
Nicola Sorgini |
|
Conductor 1976-1997 |
|
|
Cavaliere Nicola Sorgini,
who had been performing with the band as a clarinetist, became conductor of
the band in 1976. Under his tenure,
the band continued to perform the famous Italian Symphonic Marches, operatic
overtures, and Italian favorites. The band underwent a program of
rejuvenation with the incorporation of popular American Music. In 2005,
Maestro Sorgini was respectfully named
"Conductor Emeritus", continued to conduct a portion of each
concert, and conducted the band at the beginning of local religious
processions. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Verdi Band Caps for Sale |
|
Forest Green Baseball Style Caps! |
|
|
The caps are for sale for $20. The hats are forest green, adjustable, and are embroidered in color with the Italian and American flags and "Verdi Band". The hats are polyester and are moisture resistant. See band member, Phil Sorgini pictured wearing the hat at the Holy Saviour Feast! To obtain a hat, send and e-mail to the website administrator! |
