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About
Founded in 2006 in Rochester Hills, Michigan, the Five Lakes Silver Band (FLSB) is a nationally acclaimed British-style brass band. Its name honors the Great Lakes that surround Michigan. Each week, music educators, freelance musicians, and dedicated amateurs from across the Great Lakes region come together to rehearse and perform with the ensemble. The ensemble regularly competes in the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Championships, the Dublin Festival of Brass (DFOB) Championships, the Hannaford Festival of Bands in Toronto, Canada, and the U.S. Open Brass Band Championships. The band’s competitive success is extensive. In 2012 and 2013, FLSB won the Hannaford Cup. The following year, it captured its first national title by winning the First Section at the NABBA Championships. A new era began in 2022 when the band was crowned Grand Champion at the Dublin Festival of Brass, earning the prestigious Droste Shield. FLSB went on to successfully defend that title in 2023, 2024, and 2025 - making four consecutive DFOB victories. The ensemble has also enjoyed remarkable success at the U.S. Open Brass Band Championships, winning in 2022, 2023, and 2024, while also being named Most Entertaining Band each of those years. In 2023, FLSB reached another milestone by winning the Championship Section at the NABBA Championships and being crowned Champion Band of North America.
Musical Director
Christopher Ward
Since July 2019, Christopher Ward has served as the Musical Director of the Five Lakes Silver Band, leading them to historic success - including becoming the first North American band to compete at the prestigious Besson Swiss Open in 2025. A national finalist for The American Prize in Conducting, Christopher also serves as the Senior Director of Music and Gospel Arts for the Salvation Army’s Great Lakes Division, where he conducts the Divisional Band and Choir. He is a member of the NABBA Board of Directors, chairs the Great Lakes Brass Band Association, and performs as a cornetist with the world-renowned Brass Band of Battle Creek. An ambassador for Denis Wick Products and Work of Art Custom Batons, Christopher previously spent 16 years as an Assistant Music Director in Greater New York, where he performed with the New York Staff Band for 23 years, including 11 as solo Eb soprano cornetist. His career has spanned 23 countries and iconic venues like Carnegie Hall and Buckingham Palace, sharing the stage with artists such as The Canadian Brass and Sir Elton John. Christopher holds degrees in Fine Arts and Trumpet Performance from Mannes College of Music and SUNY Purchase and has continued his conducting studies under the mentorship of Professor David King.
Choice Program
Mirage
Jan de Haan
Program Notes
Mirage - A Symphonic Portrait is inspired by the legend of the ghost ship The Flying Dutchman, a story deeply rooted in maritime folklore. Cursed to wander the oceans forever, the ship often looms like a mirage on the horizon - a mysterious apparition in which reality and illusion blend intangibly. Mirage the music tries to bring this mystical appearance to life. The piece begins with an atmosphere of mystery and wonder, creating the illusion of a mirage. The listener is taken to the vast sea, where the boundaries between the real and the unreal blur and the ghostly silhouette of the ship gradually becomes visible. Suddenly the tone changes. Powerful rhythms and stormy harmonies follow, expressing the ship’s battle against the raging forces of nature. After this intense part in which the musicians are pushed to their limits, the tranquility of the sea returns. The recurring mirages inspire the composer to create a lyrical middle section, in which various soloists tell their stories within this legend. In the final part, the sails are hoisted again and the three-master continues its endless journey.
NABBA Results History (13)
| Section | Best Finish | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Championship | 1st | 2 |
| First | 1st | 1 |
| Event | Section | Place | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championships 2026 | Championship | 1st | 98.567 | |
| Dublin Festival of Brass | Open Competition | — | — | |
| NABBA Championships 2025 | Championship | 2nd | 93.983 | |
| NABBA Championships 2024 | Championship | 3rd | 92.633 | |
| NABBA Championships 2023 | Championship | 1st | 95.833 | |
| NABBA Championships 2022 | First | 2nd | 93.067 | |
| NABBA Championships 2019 | First | 6th | 261.200 | |
| NABBA Championships 2018 | First | 4th | 282.000 | |
| NABBA Championships 2017 | First | 8th | 270.200 | |
| NABBA Championships 2016 | First | 5th | 277.000 | |
| NABBA Championships 2014 | Championship | 9th | 86.400 | |
| NABBA Championships 2013 | First | 1st | 282.400 | |
| NABBA Championships 2012 | First | 4th | 274.200 |