Bangor Band ready to launch its 146th season

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Conductor Fred Heath and members of our wonderful, historic Bangor Band are tuning up for their 146th consecutive season opening 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, at the Bangor Public Library.

Writing for the band, Bob Pentland of Lamoine reports that Heath and the band “will attempt to feature a band soloist in each performance” which will include Pentland on the euphonium.

You also will hear tuba, French horn and clarinet solos.

This year’s program includes music from Broadway shows such as “My Fair Lady,” “Showboat,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “South Pacific.”

“Last season, we performed a few heavier classical pieces,” Pentland wrote. “This season, we will perform some much lighter classical fare as well as traditional popular music by composers such as Leroy Anderson, Morton Gould, Glenn Miller and others.”

He added that attendees also will hear a variety of march music as well.

Pentland explained Heath has arranged for each concert “to feature a famous march, a famous overture, a light and lively selection, a short solemn piece, a solo … [and] a significant band classic.”

Each concert will also feature “a show or movie medley, a great symphonic march, a selection featuring a popular style of the past, a march by one of America’s great march composers, a piece which signifies a tribute to the United States, and another march or two for good measure.”

What a terrific summer faithful concertgoers can look forward to! Here’s the rest of the schedule to clip and save.

The band plays at 5:40 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Brewer Auditorium; 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, Bass Park bandstand; 7 p.m. Sunday, July 4, Bass Park bandstand; 7 p.m. Tuesday July 6, Fairmount Park; 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, Bass Park bandstand; TBA Saturday, July 17, Fort Knox in Prospect; 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 20, Bass Park bandstand; 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, Bass Park bandstand; 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3, Chapin Park; and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10, Bass Park bandstand.

Dennysville Festival choirmaster Colin Windhorst invites you to enjoy “rich choral music” during the “traditional service of Choral Evensong” at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 20, at the Congregational Church in Dennysville.

“Springing from the old, medieval cycle of daily ‘offices,’ or short services of worship throughout the day,” Windhorst explained, “Evensong is, literally, evening prayers set to music.”

Led by the choir, the service is organized around two Biblical poems, from the Gospel of Luke and “set to music by the Irishman Charles Stanford.”

The choir will also sing works by composers Viadana, Haydn, Wood and Mozart.

The congregation is invited to join in singing familiar evening hymns.

Windhorst added that “everyone is welcome to this hour of beautiful, evening music, offered to the glory of God.”

Continuing with today’s musical theme, Gaynor Reynolds invites you to “enjoy a summer evening in lovely gardens” filled with music and dance.

The Sebasticook Valley Community Band will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, at Ecotat Gardens and Arboretum, located at the intersection of Route 2 and Annis Road in Hermon.

During the concert, the Morgan Hill Dancers will perform with the band.

There is no admission fee, but “all proceeds from donations will benefit the gardens and performers,” Reynolds said.

Executive director John Doty of Pacific Intercultural Exchange reports that the organization is seeking families in the Penobscot County area to host high school students for an academic semester or year homestay program.

Area representatives match students with families by finding common interests and lifestyles through an informal, in-house meeting. Single parents, retired couples or large families are urged to apply.

The students, age 15 to 18, speak English, have their own spending money, and accident and health insurance.

Host families are eligible to claim a $50-per-month charitable contribution deduction on itemized tax returns for each month they host a student, according to Doty.

Interested individuals can call the organization at (800) 631-1818 to learn more about this program that includes students from around the world.

Oops!

Ralph Carr called Friday morning to say he was a week early with his request for volunteers to help with the Hoit Pool landscape project.

He hopes you will be there next weekend, at either 8 a.m. Friday, June 25, or 8 a.m. Saturday, June 26, with gardening tools, to help landscape the Hampden site.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.