So you want to lead a band? Gil Cline and the Humboldt Bay Brass Band will give one lucky member of the audience that opportunity, as they defy the end of Daylight Savings Time with a concert of brass band music.

The winner of the drawing will conduct the Eureka March, written by Humboldt resident Herb Pasco in 1914, and arranged for this ensemble by Gil Cline. (Aspirants can listen to the band’s recently released CD to hear what the tune is supposed to sound like.)

The rest of the evening’s eclectic program will range from Mozart and Rachmaninoff to marches and “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose”—all safely conducted by Cline.

The band is comprised of HSU students and community members, including several Humboldt County music educators, such as Fred Tempas of Sunny Brae Middle School, who is the featured soloist on the “Suite for Tuba.” “He’s our local tuba guru,” Cline said, describing the piece as a “difficult, flashy work.”

The Humboldt Bay Brass Band is perhaps the only one of its kind north of San Francisco, according to Cline. That’s because it is a “British” brass band, which refers to its instrumental lineup of 24 brass players and three on percussion. “There’s a very strong tradition for this kind of band, especially in the north of England,” Cline said. “Many have been in continuous operation there for well over a hundred years.”

Though not quite that old, the Humboldt Bay Brass Band has performed several well-received concerts over the past three years, as well as recording its CD last year.

One of the audience favorites at last spring’s concert was “American Patrol.” This time the band whistles while they work through a Swiss army march called “Berne Patrol.”

There are several modern works on the program, such as a tone poem called “The Conquerors,” and “Doyen,” which Cline described as “a captivating work with interesting meter changes.” But the evening ends with a fulfilling brass bang, as “Galop” sends the audience riding home—to turn their clocks back an hour.

The Humboldt Bay Brass Band under the direction of Gil Cline, plays on Saturday, October 28th at 8 PM in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. $6 general, $2 student/senior, HSU students free with ID, from HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Presented by HSU Music Department: 826-3531.