In the Mood? In Bandera? That’s right! The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will be in Bandera on Sunday, March 7, to put Bandera “In the Mood” for Miller’s Big Band Sound! The event is being presented by the Purple Sage Guest Ranch and Conference Center as a fundraiser for the Bandera Community Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund. The “Evening with the Glenn Miller Orchestra” will be held at the Bandera High School Performing Arts Theatre and tickets will be $20.00 each.

The legendary Glenn Miller was one of the most successful of all the dance band leaders back in the Swing era of the 1930s and 40s. A matchless string of hit records, the constant impact of radio broadcasts, and the drawing power at theaters, hotels, and dance pavilions built and sustained Miller’s momentum of popularity.

In 1942, at the height of his popularity, Glenn disbanded his musical organization. He volunteered for the Army and organized the famous Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. The band went to Europe to entertain the troops, and then, on December 15, 1944, Major Miller took off in a single-engine plane from England to precede his band to France, never to be seen again. The army declared him officially dead a year later.

Due to popular demand, the Miller estate authorized the formation of the present Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1956 under the direction of drummer Ray McKinley, who had become the unofficial leader of the Army Air Force Band after Glenn’s disappearance. Since then, other leaders have followed, including clarinetists Buddy DeFranco and Peanuts Hucko; trumpeter Dick Lowenthal; tenor saxophonist Dick Gerhart; and trombonists Buddy Morrow, Jimmy Henderson, and Larry O’Brien.

The 19-member band continues to play many of the original Miller arrangements that keep exciting fans who have not heard them played for a while. They are also playing more modern selections in the big-band style, carefully selecting only those newer tunes that lend themselves naturally to the Miller sound and style. The entire repertoire, which now exceeds 1,700 compositions, keeps the band popular with both young and old.

Most of the band’s shows are sell-outs. It has proven staying power, and its popularity never seems to wane. The Glenn Miller Orchestra today is still the most sought after big band in the world, just as it was in Glenn’s day.

Tickets for this exciting event can be purchased on-line at TicketDerby.com. Click on Bandera to purchase your tickets. Tickets may also be purchased at Shoe Biz downtown Bandera on the corner of Main and Cedar. For more information about the appearance of the legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra, go to www.banderacommunityfoundation.org. and click on events, or call 830-796-4447 or 800-364-3833.

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