Did you know the Houston Pride Band has performed holiday concerts since the 1970s? In fact, the first fully staged concert by the Montrose Marching Band, an early incarnation of the group, was The Joys of Christmas, performed at Bering Memorial Methodist Church on December 14, 1979.
“We’ve done one whenever we can,” says Houston Pride Band trombonist Nikolai Robinson. “There’s just something about Christmas music and holiday music. There are so many iconic band pieces that are Christmas pieces and Hanukkah pieces.”
Following the sold-out success of their last concert, September’s Power to the People, a more serious-themed program about the importance of voting and the history of political expression, Robinson says the band “wanted to turn around and do something fun for the holidays.” The festive result is the Santa Claus-themed Kringle Kapers, a return to tradition that promises a selection of pieces chosen by artistic directors David Lea and Deborah Hirsch representing a range of genres and styles.
“Our artistic directors do try to find modern pieces that may not get played,” says Robinson. “We’re also going to play band pieces that were made specifically for band. Some of them are a little goofy. Some of them are going to be kind of campy. You know, the gays love a campy moment. But you’re going to hear sounds that you don’t normally hear. You’re going to hear pieces new and old.”
One song that Robinson says he is looking forward to is “When Saint Nick Comes Marching In.”
“I’m a huge fan of big brassy jazz pieces, and it is a New Orleans jazz-style Christmas piece that merges ‘When the Saints Go Marching In,’ ‘Up on the Housetop,’ and I think another Christmas song or two,” says Robinson.
Though the band loves to try different things, even within a holiday show, audiences can still expect the classics everybody loves, surprises, and a lot of fun because, as Robinson says, “people want to have fun this time of year.”
Robinson, who is also a member of the board of directors this season, joined the band in 2022 and says his story reflects that of many other members. “I’d done band throughout high school and college, and I was looking for that performing outlet. I’m not a performer or musician by profession, but I still wanted to keep up with it. We were coming out of the worst of COVID, and I was still feeling very isolated because I realized that I didn’t have any hobbies anymore or a good circle of friends.”
His search for connection and creative expression led Robinson to the band, an LGBTQ+ friendly space for musicians, both within the community and their allies, to come together and share the joy of music and performing.
“I was immediately embraced by the band. It felt very warm and safe,” says Robinson, now in his third full season. “There’s a lot of anxiety right now, specifically within our community, in terms of going forward as a country, but I feel comfortable and happy knowing that no matter what happens, there will be a place for me every Wednesday night at rehearsal.”
In recent years, the band, comprised entirely of volunteers and welcoming to musicians of all skill levels, has seen a boom in membership and now boasts a roster of approximately 90. And with the 50th anniversary of the Houston Pride Band around the corner in 2028, Robinson says it’s a “very exciting time for the band.” And yes, the band is already planning for it, along with a small group of very special people.
“We have a very small handful of people who were here with us in 1978. They’ve just put, essentially, their whole lives into this band. Getting to love and respect them motivates me to carry the tradition forward,” says Robinson. “Getting on stage with some of these people who have been with the band for nearly 50 years is definitely a privilege.”
The anniversary will also give the band a chance to look back at the ups and downs of the past half-century – and the value organizations like Houston Pride Band, as well as groups like Pride Chorus Houston and LGBTQ+ intramural sports leagues, offer through it all.
“I see the good and the joy that the band brings to our community,” says Robinson. “There will always be those organizations that we find a home in and find comfort in. Regardless of which way history sways or how we’re doing as a collective, I think the one constant will be organizations like these to where we can always go back to.”
Kringle Kapers will be performed at 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 7, at the MATCH, 3400 Main. For more information, call 713-521-4533 or visit matchouston.org. $5-$15.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
