Photo Credit: Conroe Symphony OrchestraMusic
The Big Band Era Returns: Conroe Symphony opens its Season with Swing Swing Swing
The Conroe Symphony Orchestra (CSO) opens its 29th season with Swing Swing Swing, a high-energy tribute to the golden age of American big band music, on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at First Methodist Church Conroe.
The program, sponsored in part by the Apricity Foundation, celebrates the greatest composers and bands of the swing era — from Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman to Duke Ellington and Artie Shaw — and features returning guest vocalist Hugh Poland. Tickets are available now at conroesymphony.org.
Music Director Gary Liebst designed the program as a sweeping sampler of the era’s best. “All the music for this concert was chosen to give the audience a well-rounded sample of the greatest composers and the best bands of the Big Band era,” Liebst said. “The concert is like a buffet of great music!”
Liebst is especially eager to lead two very different pieces. The first is George Gershwin’s An American in Paris. “I’m hoping the audience feels like they’ve experienced Paris — not as a postcard, but as a living, bustling, beautiful city,” he said. The second is the concert’s namesake, Sing, Sing, Sing, the Benny Goodman Orchestra classic famous for its explosive drum solo. The CSO’s performance will feature principal percussionist Seth Bagwell in the Gene Krupa role.
Performing swing with a full symphony orchestra gives the music a depth rarely heard in the original recordings. “When performed with a full symphony orchestra, swing music gains a rich, full-bodied sound,” Liebst said. “The diverse range of instruments allows for more complex arrangements and textures.” He points to the CSO’s arrangement of Moonlight Serenade as a piece that especially benefits from the expanded instrumentation.
One of the hallmarks of big band music is the instrumental solo, and this program is full of them. “Almost every arrangement has someone in the orchestra who gets to play in the spotlight for 8, 16, or 24 bars,” Liebst said. “It’s a chance for our musicians to put their own interpretation on the music, which makes it different from the classical repertoire we usually play.”
Artie Shaw’s Stardust will showcase several of the orchestra’s principal players, including the virtuosity of principal trumpet Mark Wootten, the warm sound of clarinetist Cedric Mayfield, and the pure tone of principal trombonist Ken Harvey.
Returning guest vocalist Hugh Poland brings his voice to a set of big band standards. “Hugh is energetic, polished, and the ultimate professional,” Liebst said. “He loves the music of the Big Band era, and his enthusiasm and charisma come through when he sings this style of music. It’s a joy to work with such a great musician.”
Poland’s features will include All of Me, the Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons standard recorded by Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong, and an audience favorite, Mack the Knife. “He swings just as hard as Bobby Darin’s version from his famous 1959 recording,” Liebst said.
Poland serves as Pastor of Discipleship at Woodridge Baptist Church in Kingwood, where he has served for 25 years. A Baton Rouge native who grew up in the Houston area, he holds degrees from Houston Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and serves as Jazz Band Director at Kingwood High School.
To stay true to the music as it was originally written, the CSO is expanding well beyond its usual instrumentation for this concert. “The audience will enjoy the addition of a saxophone section, guitar, electric bass, and our guest jazz piano player, ” Liebst said, “all things beyond our normal instrumentation that help us be true to the sounds the music was originally written for.”The result, Liebst promises, is a concert that’s hard to sit still through. “The energy and excitement of these arrangements should make the audience want to move, dance, clap, or even sing along, and we would love that! After a concert of big band swing, audiences typically walk away with a sense of joy, nostalgia, and energy,” he said. The infectious melodies and swinging rhythms have a way of uplifting spirits and leaving a lasting impression. The music is incredibly positive!”
Event Details
What: Swing Swing Swing — Conroe Symphony Orchestra season opener
When: Saturday, September 26, 2026 · 4:00 p.m.
Where: First Methodist Church Conroe, 4308 W Davis St, Conroe, TX 77304
Soloists: Guest vocalist Hugh Poland; music of Miller, Goodman, Ellington, Gershwin, Shaw, and more
Tickets: Available now at conroesymphony.org
Swing Swing Swing is made possible in part through the generous support of the Apricity Foundation, a Conroe-based nonprofit dedicated to serving Texas community organizations, veterans, and those in need. The Conroe Symphony Orchestra is deeply grateful for their sponsorship in opening the 2026–2027 season. To learn more about them, visit online at https://www.apricityfoundation.org/
The Conroe Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1997 to contribute to the cultural enrichment of the community, assuring a better quality of life for the Conroe area. Its objective is to provide the region with the best possible musical experience, while creating music lovers and connecting the Conroe community. The CSO strives to be recognized as one of the outstanding community orchestras in the state of Texas. As a nonprofit community orchestra, it is supported through individual and corporate donations, grants, and ticket sales. The City of Conroe Arts and Culture grant supports the whole season. Learn more at conroesymphony.org.
Source: Conroe Symphony Orchestra
