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Initially, the theme for this year's Big Bang Weekend in Gaithersburg revolved around the different national identities that add to our culture. But then storyteller Arianna Ross informed festival organizers that her "Immigrant Quilt" presentation wouldn't work at the outdoor City Hall Concert Pavilion. Now Ross will be telling a different story, and the weekend is taking on a "something for everyone" theme. And that's just fine with recreation program coordinator Nansie Wilde.
"We want to have so much stuff that anyone staying here for the Fourth has plenty to do in Gaithersburg," she says. "They can bring out the whole family and enjoy themselves."
"Everyone loves that song," he says. "Even little kids get the joke."
Phelps started composing tunes for youngsters nearly 20 years ago, but began taking it more seriously after becoming a father. His two sons, Peter and Sam, are now on the outskirts of their father's elementary school audience, but they inspired a catalogue of songs.
"As soon as they were able to laugh, I started writing songs for them," he recalls. "So I thought maybe I should make a CD."
Phelps' latest release, "A Little Cow Music," includes the songs "Am I in Trouble?" and "Chickens Commuting to Work." At City Hall Concert Pavilion on Monday morning, he will present "Word Play," a show dedicated to "the joy of rhyming and the joy of puns." Although Phelps regularly plays at elementary schools around the Mid-Atlantic, he throws in selections for younger or older kids at festivals, depending on who shows up.
"I love performing for children because they're a great audience," he says. "I love the type of humor kids like."
In addition to a fireworks display with a concert by dance band Free Spirit on Independence Day, adults may want to check out The English Channel. A tribute to the British Invasion of the 1960s and early '70s, the Richmond-based sextet boasts a repertoire of more than 100 songs. Yes, this is America's weekend, but Wilde's idea was to include the country that the U.S. won its independence from as well.
"There are so many different styles," vocalist Julie Quarles says of the era. "I like to see people singing along and remembering where they were when they first heard those songs."
To keep it authentic, the band tries to make sure every song sounds like the original recording. It helps that the lineup consists entirely of baby boomers in their 40s and 50s. Quarles says that the band started in 2001 as the brainchild of her husband, keyboardist and vocalist Dr. Bob Quarles. Although the group plays the expected Beatles and Rolling Stones covers, The English Channel digs deep for songs like David Bowie's "Suffragette City" and Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park."
"We don't just stick to the early lightweight-type stuff," Julie Quarles says. "You can't please everyone, but we try to play something for everybody."
The band plays regular gigs at bars around the Richmond area for a more unruly crowd. The environment encourages them to bust out harder numbers like "Iron Man." But Quarles looks forward to playing the Pavilion.
"There's nothing like the energy of people playing right in front of you, but there's also nothing like playing on a big stage," she says.
And what would the Fourth of July be without a little John Philip Sousa? The National Institutes of Health Community Orchestra (NIHCO) is serving up "The Stars and Stripes Forever" as well as a Rogers and Hammerstein medley and Celtic sounds. Last year, a thunderstorm cut short the orchestra's James Bond segment. Even the pavilion's shell couldn't protect all the instruments. To make up for it, the group plans on playing themes like "Goldfinger."
"The violins asked to sit a little bit further back," says NIHCO director Dr. Harold Seifried. "It's bad for the brass to get a little wet, but it's not good for the strings. Last year they got misted on."
Contrary to what the name suggests, the orchestra isn't completely comprised of medical research professionals. Employees from various government agencies, members of the community and even high school students round out the full ensemble. Because every member is a volunteer, scheduling is often a problem. Playing on holiday weekends present further challenges.
"It's a lot harder to get everyone to show up," Seifried says. "We changed things around a little bit, maybe for the better."
Seifried, who works as a program director at the National Cancer Institute, plays French horn. For Friday's performance, the orchestra's brass ensemble will play brand new arrangements of big band favorites.
"It's going to be a real eclectic mix," he says. "It's a chance to do some things we don't normally do."
All Big Bang Weekend performances will take place at City Hall Concert Pavilion, 31 South Summit Ave., Gaithersburg. Arian Ross will perform at 10:30 a.m. Thursday; the NIHCO, at 7 p.m. Friday; The English Channel, at 5 p.m. Sunday; and Arlen Phelps, at 10:30 a.m. Monday. Every act will play rain or shine, but severe weather may lead to postponement. All events are free. Call 301-258-6350 or visit
www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
