Festival of the Senses, the free performing arts series created in 2011 to bring outstanding musicians and other distinguished performers to North Little Rock as a gift to the community to entertain, enlighten, and inspire, will present a concert of holiday music by the Natural State Brass Band on Friday, December 8, at 7:00 p.m. The performance is free and open to the public and will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 4106 JFK Boulevard. A reception in the parish hall will follow the concert.

Musicians from all over Arkansas make up the Natural State Brass Band, a 35-member British style brass and percussion band formed in Little Rock in 2003. Conducted by Henderson State University Band Director Nevada Mills, the ensemble performs a varied repertoire from all points of the musical compass. In addition to appearances throughout Arkansas and in other states, the band toured the United Kingdom in June 2010 and played at the British National Brass Band Championships. 

The December 8 program includes nine instrumental versions of holiday carols and songs:

• “Christmas Is Coming!” by Paul Lovatt-Cooper;
• “Let the Bells Ring,” traditional carol arranged by Robert Buckley; 
• “Away in a Manger” by William Kirkpatrick, arranged by Dorothy Gates; 
• “Rhapsody for Hanukkah” by Stephen Bulla;
• “The Christmas Song” by Mel Torme and Robert Wells, arranged by Philip Sparke;
• “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” music by Anthony DiLorenzo;
• “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish, arranged by Philip Harper;
• “Silent Night” by Felix Gruber, arranged by Darius Battiwalla;
• “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” by Felix Mendelssohn and Charles Wesley, arranged by Anthony DiLorenzo