Last Free Concerts of the Summer by Amherst Community Band

The Amherst Community Band will be performing its last outdoor concert of the summer in Sweetser Park on Saturday, August 18, at 6:30 p.m. Conductor for this concert will be Richard Cuoco. There will be music to please all ages, including selections from “The Lion King”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Pixar Movie Magic”. Other selections include Sousa’s “El Capitan”, “El Camino Real”, and a vocal special of “Blue Moon”.

On Tuesday, August 18, the band will be performing on the South Amherst Common in collaboration with the Amherst South Congregational Church. For this concert, you will able to order a barbecue chicken meal, and then enjoy an outdoor dinner and free concert. The performance will begin at 6 p.m. This is a concert the band members are excited to play because the program is based on the members’ favorite music of the summer. If you’re interested in purchasing a meal, you need to contact the church and order it ahead of time. They are also having a craft sale.

It wasn’t too long ago that we learned our beloved conductor wouldn’t be with us for this season. We didn’t know whether or not we would be able to continue this community band. A flurry of emails confirmed how important this group has been to its members and to the community. Band members volunteered to help make these summer performances happen. This is what makes the season so heartwarming and special. The members of the band put it together.

A community band instills pride in the community. It brings neighbors, organizations, and local musicians together.
This summer, we have had the privilege of working with Amherst Recreation, Amherst BID, The Amherst Historical Society, South Amherst Church, Amherst and Mass Cultural Council, as well as the UMass Music Department.
We are grateful and appreciative for all of their support.

Rather than select one conductor, we felt it would be beneficial to look for and find several guest conductors for this season.
Having a variety of conductors was a good experience for everyone. Each conductor brought a favorite collection of music to us.

Our current conductor told us that he was excited to be playing some of this music because he played it many years ago and finally found a group that could play it. The result is that band members as well as audiences have been exposed to a wide variety of music.

Much appreciation and thanks go to the UMass Music Department, who let us use their large rehearsal space as well as music stands and percussion equipment. They also kindly transported all of the chairs and stands to the various venues where we performed. And finally, they have allowed us access to their vast music library to help make the selections for our performances.

It took many band and community members to come together to volunteer and create this summer of music.
Whatever the future, whoever the conductors will be, we know for sure now that the Amherst Community Band will continue to be an integral part of the community. We hope to see you at our last concerts. Remember to bring a lawn chair and friends.