Published in the June 30, 2016 edition
NORTH READING — North Reading’s Community Band and The Martins Pond Association are pleased to, once again present a free concert Thursday July 7, 6:30 — 8 p.m. at Clarke Park, weather permitting. This concert is the first the band will perform for the town this summer. No rain date is scheduled.
The annual event is usually scheduled closer to the Summer Solstice, but the Martins Pond Association and the band agreed to experiment with a later date this year.
Judith Allen, conductor for the 20 piece concert band, chose a couple of Frank Sinatra medleys as part of this year’s program, a nod to his 100th anniversary. The Big Band theme will continue with a Warren Barker medley called Swing’s the Thing, and a Michael Brown adaptation of the Canadian Brass version of W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues, featuring a tuba solo by Reading’s Rich Smith.
More classical pieces are Gustav Holst’s Suite in Eb and a Vincent Safranek concert band arrangement of Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture.
Broadway is represented by selections from the musical Ragtime, and Disney’s Hollywood by a medley from The Little Mermaid.
A patriotic medley by George M. Cohan is almost a must, three days after Independence Day.
During intermission, “No Reading” the improvisational Dixieland band–within–a–band will perform Tishomingo Blues, the opening theme to NPR’s Prairie Home Companion. Then Larry Panzeri’s trumpet will the channel Louis Armstrong with a version of King Oliver’s West End Blues. Armstrong’s 1928 recording entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1979.
Sousa’s Liberty Bell March (a.k.a. the theme from Monty Python) will round out the program.
New musicians of all ages are always welcome at the Thursday evening rehearsals. For more information contact Phil Norris, 978–664–2422
