Imperial Band of South River Concert Illustrations

On Sunday, March 3, 2024 we had the pleasure of attending an Imperial Band of South River concert. The band played all kinds of Irish music. I enjoyed watching the movements of the players, how they used their whole bodies to illustrate the sounds with their instruments. I did all my sketching at the concert in a sketchbook; all the color was added later at home. You can see all my illustrations of the Imperial Band of South River here.

The trombone players were impressive, moving their instruments in and out with skill. I loved that an American flag stood proudly behind them.

The conductor, Richard Golazeski, sat in this chair and moved his arms with great passion. He really enjoyed all the Irish music.

Here are two of the bassoon player. She used her whole body to play her large instrument.

The tables were decorated with orange carnations with lots of green leaves.

My favorite piece was The Parting Glass. When I looked it up, I noted it usually sung with lyrics. It seems to be a bittersweet song about farewells and parting ways. In this concert, the music was all instrument. Beautiful and inspiring.

The concert finished with the music of George M. Cohan, composer of American hits like I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy.

The Imperial Band of South River has concerts 11 times a year, typically the first Sunday of each month except January. The concerts are held in the Imperial Music Center, 48 Appleby Avenue in South River, New Jersey.