Last year, Brian Meixner took the phrase “the trumpet shall sound” literally. An associate professor of music at High Point University, Meixner founded the North Carolina Brass Band (NCBB), the state’s newest professional music ensemble, and the newest professional brass band in the country.
NCBB is a British-style brass band, composed of 28 musicians and instruments from cornets to tubas, as well as percussion. NCBB has garnered national and international attention with its debut album, First in Flight.
Of the band’s holiday series this month, Meixner says, “It’s traditional Christmas music … with a twist.”
Historically, brass bands in North Carolina were largely community-based. As one of a handful of professional brass bands in the nation, NCBB still has those small-town roots — plus big-city sound.
When it comes to spreading holiday cheer, the residents of this Chatham County town start early.
Our editor in chief shares a few treasured memories from her childhood home, a Christmas Eve night being one of the very first.
We took some, ahem, creative liberties when we combed through Our State’s archives to find a few favorite stories that carry the tune of a Christmas classic.
From decades-old family recipes to a centuries-old Carolina cookie, we’re filling our holiday tables with dishes that have stood the test of time.
