The Monroe County Community College band and choir will perform on October 24

The two musical groups from Monroe County Community College are reunited once again.

The College/Community Symphony Band and the Agora Chorale usually kick off each of their seasons with a combined concert. This performance, the first since the pandemic began, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on October 24 at the Meyer Theater, La-Z-Boy Center at MCCC, 1555 S. Raisinville Rd. Admission is free.

Although the Agora Chorale hosted a few public performances last season, the pandemic has all but silenced the group.

“We were able to do a gig last May, but before that, nothing with the full band since February 2020. We’re delighted to be back with a full schedule this year,” band manager Mark Felder said.

This year’s group is 80 in number.

The Oct. 24 concert will feature a number of selections for the band, including Richard L. Saucedo’s “Whirwinds”; “Third Suite” by Robert Jager; “Root Beer Rag” by Billy Joel; “Mississippi Suite” by Ferde Grofe and “Who’s Who in Navy Blue” by John Philip Sousa.

This year’s Agora Chorale and its new director, Jonathon Lunneberg, will join the group. The choir will also perform several selections. This year 30 are overall.

“We have plenty of room for others to join us,” Lunneberg said. “We are going to make music together. I’m going to work on getting to know the strengths of the band, so I can showcase their talents and hopefully put on performances that the community will enjoy.

In August, Lunneberg replaced longtime director Cathy Brodie, who retired last year after 12 years at the MCCC. She spent a total of 42 years teaching music in Monroe County.

Lunneberg holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in choral conducting, both from Oakland University.

“I’ve taught every type of music lesson you can think of and every age level from K-12.^e-grade,” Lunneberg said. “I have also worked with university, community and church choirs.

He is president of the Michigan Chapter of the American Choir Directors Association and was associate conductor of Measure for Measure, a men’s choir in Ann Arbor for five years. From 2012 to 2014, he was assistant conductor of the Oakland Chorale and University Chorus.

Currently, he lives in Oak Park and teaches high school choir for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools.

“I know people from Monroe, and I know several choir directors in the area, including several former Agora Chorale directors,” Lunneberg said. “I knew they would be a quality group to work with.”

The band and choir will hold separate holiday concerts in December.