submitted by Bill Gaillard
The “big band” known as the Stardusters was formed in 1976 by Cortland Cottrell and continues today managed by his son Bill Cottrell and conducted by Bill Gaillard. The Stardusters will present its third annual Christmas concert on December 14 at 3 pm at the Community Alliance Church in Hoosick Falls.
Big bands were popular in the latter part of the last century and were known by their musicians such as Glen Miller and Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, among others. Instrumentation included five saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, a piano, traps and a bass. In many cases the leader was a soloist, and, in the case of the Stardusters, Bill Cottrell is the lead trumpet or soprano sax soloist.
The Stardusters are available for parties, receptions and concerts. Recently, the last week in June, the band performed in Wood Park before the summer band concert season and three years ago began the tradition of a Christmas concert.
Being a swing group in the big band era, the Stardusters’ Christmas selections are arranged with the swing or jazz idiom in mind. This adds a new type of programming to the holiday season.
Some of the selections on this year’s program include “Winter Wonderland,” “The Nutcracker Swing” (based on “The Nutcracker Suite”), “Deck the Halls with Bones and Saxes,” “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night” and the Christmas waltz.
The program will also include audience participation with well known carols in a sing-a-long.
The audience is asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be given to the local food closet.
All are invited to attend this swingin’ concert. The Stardusters join a list of musical groups in Hoosick Falls continuing a tradition started by Henderson VanSurdam and the Eberles among others.