November 9, 2026
The Grace Wind Ensemble will perform its fall concert, “Celebration of the New World,” on Friday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Warsaw High School Performing Arts Center, 1 Tiger Ln., Warsaw. The concert is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7 p.m.
“The concert will open with ‘Let Freedom Ring,’ a piece that opens with energetic fanfare before easing back into a beautiful flute solo of ‘My Country Tis of Thee’ played by Rhonda Hochstedler,” said Eric Criss, the ensemble’s director. “I am also excited to conduct ‘New World Symphony.’ This very well-known piece is a classic masterwork that Mark Hindlsey has skillfully scored for wind bands.”
The Grace College Wind Ensemble repertoire will also include the classic crowd favorite, “When the Saints Go Marching In.” The song opens with a slow, mournful melody before breaking out into a traditional dixieland ensemble featuring Chris French on clarinet, Fred Powell on trumpet, Steve Stauffer on trombone, Dana Gall on tuba and Terry Vaughn on percussion.
“Amazing Grace,” arranged by Scott Watson, “Bonds of Unity” by Karl King and James Swearingen and “Song for Lyndsay” by Andrew Boysen are also in the concert’s lineup.
The band, which rehearses weekly on the Grace College campus, is a collection of Grace students and Warsaw/Winona Lake community members.
The Grace Wind Ensemble Fall Concert is a part of the Grace College & The Village at Winona Festival of Music. The next Wind Ensemble concert will take place on March 21 at the Warsaw Performing Arts Center. To learn more, visit www.grace.edu/musicfestival/.
