The Advocate Brass Band

Most visitors to the festival are used to seeing The Advocate Brass Band in its role as host band, but this Danville-based group formed in 1987 has performed in 10 countries on three continents.The group was founded by George Foreman (former managing director of Centre College’s Norton Center for the Arts) with encouragement and support from Mary Schurz, the late publisher of The Advocate-Messenger and The Kentucky Advocate. The band is headed by Lydia DiMartino-Ellis, who has been with the band since 1987 as piccolo soloist. In 2010, she assumed the position of director. DiMartino-Ellis is featured on several recordings of the band as well as with the New Columbian Brass Band and the New Walnut Street Ragtime Orchestra. She currently teaches choir, percussion and jazz band at Bate Middle School in Danville, where she develops original musical productions such as The "Meth"OD — a multimedia production on the dangers of methamphetamine abuse, which received an award from A&E Television in 2006-2007.Members of the band range in age from 14 to 80 and come from all over Kentucky and Indiana. The group has released six CDs, including a Kentucky-themed album called “My Old Kentucky Home,” and a collection of marches from around the world called “Hands Across the Sea.” The band has the tradition of giving Sunday afternoon concerts each spring and fall in Danville.