It’s been two days since I saw the Boston Brass performance at the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, and I’m still reflecting on how good a show it was.

Musically, the quintet is at the top of its game–that’s to be expected with any Virginia Arts Festival show–but what really made the evening so memorable were the moments between pieces when the performers would talk about what they had just played and/or what was coming up next. The musicians–Chris Castellanos on horn, Andrew Hitz on tuba, Lance LaDuke on trombone and Jeff Conner and Jose Sibaja on trumpet–were anxious to provide context for each piece, sharing bits of history, music theory, personal stories and, most importantly, lots of humor. In short, they were the embodiment of “edutainment,” making the show enlightening, fun and funny all at the same time.

The program ranged from classical (the overture of Mozart’s “The Marriage Of Figaro”) and big band (“Bugle Call Rag”) to blues (Stanton Moore’s New Orleans-inspired “Blues For Ben”) and jazz (Dave Brubeck’s “Autumn Leaves”). There was also a heavy dose of Latin music, from the show opener, Alberto Ginastera’s “Danza Final,” to Astor Piazzolla’s “Tango Apasionado” to a Latin American suite arranged by Sibaja, a native of Costa Rica.

Three popular pieces not listed in the program were played. I recognized Aram Khachaturian’s “The Sabre Dance” as a frenetic instrumental often played by Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra on “The Late Show With David Letterman.” (Afterward, we were told it was featured during plate-spinning routines on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which explained the Letterman connection.) The second piece was “Manteca,” Dizzy Gillespie’s famous Afro-Cuban vamp, and the third, Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher,” featured LaDuke singing scat and the audience participating on the “Hi De Hi De Hi De Hi” chorus.

All of the musicians shined with their charming and funny stage banter, but LaDuke probably got the biggest laughs of the night. In one bit, he served as a Spanish-to-English translator for Sibaja, explaining that the upcoming tango was about “one man’s search for intelligent life … at Wal-mart.” Later, when talking about his second instrument, the euphonium, he explained that it was a Greek word meaning “unemployable.” (Interestingly, on the Boston Brass blog, LaDuke cites a performance by the comedian Jim Gaffigan as one of the best “concerts” he’s ever attended.)

They’ve probably told their jokes a hundred times, but they all came off as fresh and sincere. A few one-liners were clearly ad-libbed and had the performers laughing too, like when Hitz, the tall tuba player, was introduced as “a Lady Gaga impersonator.” The group’s sense of humor was on full display right through the curtain call, which featured a hammed up, a cappella reprise of “Bugle Call Rag,” complete with the musicians miming their instruments and plunger mutes.

It’s worth noting that all of the musicians except Hitz stood through the entire performance, and they all played entirely from memory with no sheet music – an impressive feat. (Memorization is the subject of another entry on the band’s blog.)

If it sounds like I’m fawning, I suppose I am. I’m only a casual fan of all the genres represented on Friday night, and I can probably count on one hand the number of chamber music performances I’ve seen, but Boston Brass easily won me over.

The Virginia Arts Festival continues through June 6. For more information, visit: www.virginiaartsfest.com.