MARYSVILLE – Most people don’t even want to drive an hour to work, let alone to play in a band.

But that’s what almost 60 musicians do each week to perform with the North Cascades Concert Band.

Pastor Jay Price of Marysville has been playing trombone in the band for five years.

“It’s a rare opportunity to play in a band this good,” he said, adding almost three-fourths are music teachers.

Some travel a lot farther than he does. Some come from Olympia, one from Canada and one even from the other side of the mountains.

The members practice Thursday nights from 7:30-9:30. Their concerts usually last two hours with an intermission and consist of 10 or more songs.

The band will be having a rare Christmas performance in Marysville at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Word of Life Lutheran Church, 9028 51st Ave. NE. Admission is free, but donations are accepted for expenses and to provide a yearly scholarship to a high school graduate going into music.

“It’s a trial run,” Price said, adding it could become a future site for the fall concert series.

Price said he was a music major until he switched to theology. They decided on a Christmas concert when they were unable to book the Byrnes Performing Arts Center in Arlington for their fall concert series. Their other concerts are in the Bellingham area, and they wanted to perform for folks in the southern end of the North Cascades. About one-third of the band members are from the Marysville-Arlington areas.

Price got involved in the band because of Mike Schafer, a member of his congregation who has been involved for about 10 years. He’s also from Marysville, but plays tenor sax.

Schafer got involved after going to one of the Arlington concerts. He talked to the conductor, got involved and got hooked.

He said it’s not that far to drive once a week to play challenging music. They often carpool.

He started playing in the sixth grade and continued through high school and three years in college. While he had played a lot when he was younger, he said he had not played much for years when he got involved.

Music director Robert Patterman also has ties to this area. Now retired, he was a principal at Post Middle School in Arlington and assistant superintendent about a dozen years ago. He said the audience will enjoy the Marysville concert.

“It’s Christmas ear candy,” he said, adding there will be singalongs and Christmas classics like, “It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

“It’s easy listening, familiar music folks are used to hearing on the radio this time of year,” he said. Patterman got involved with the nonprofit band about 20 years ago. He started college as a music major.

“It’s the original reason I went into education,” he said of music. “In retirement this keeps me connected to the music realm in a positive way.”

Patterman said the band members have a passion for their instruments.

“A lot are retired,” he said. “They taught music in their days. And a lot played in high school and college and enjoy continuing to play.”

Along with the just ended fall series, the band also plays a three-concert spring concert series. They usually have a school or community group also play in that one. It also features a guest performer from the President’s All-Star Band.“They are the best in the world,” Price said.

Schafer added, “They are the best of the best, incredible.”

Patterman said this year’s guest is a french horn player. “It’s a great challenge for the band,” he said, adding this is the fifth year of having them. “They are world-class soloists, and we’re dazzled by their virtuosity. It brings the level of the band up.”

Patterman said members stay in the band for years, despite the long drives.

“It’s part of the routine and life. They get lots of time off, he said of the four months total between the two concert series.

For details, go to www.nccband.org.