The Concord Band got its start as a marching unit in Concord’s Patriots’ Day Parade sixty years ago, and about ten years later became an all-concert ensemble. On Monday April 15, 2019, the Concord Band will celebrate its 60th Anniversary with a concert of commemorative and patriotic music. Music Director
James O’Dell has selected a program especially for this occasion, memorializing Concord's rich culture and unique place in American history.
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Middlesex Volunteers Fife & Drum
Concord Patriots' Day parade |
The concert will be held on Patiots' Day at the Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden Street in Concord at 11:00 am. The concert is free and open to the public (donations appreciated), and we hope it will attract families and parade-goers at the conclusion of the annual parade. No reservations are required and seating is first come, first served. Audience members should be aware of the parking and traffic restrictions in Concord Center, with 51 Walden but a short walk from the parade route.
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Captain David Brown's Company of Minute Men,
North Bridge, Concord, Minute Man NHP |
The concert will open with a new fanfare, premiered at the Band’s 60th Anniversary winter concert in March,
Emblazoned Joy by Roger Cichy. The Band will present a complete performance of its newest commission,
Diamond Jubilee Suite by Andrew Boysen Jr., which received an enthusiastic standing ovation at its premiere. Gustav Holst was one of the first composers to write specifically for symphonic bands and his
First Suite for Military Band is among the finest of his compositions. It is a much-loved classic for Band players as well as audiences. Another highlight of the concert will be Stephen Bulla’s
North Bridge Portrait, also commissioned by the Concord Band in 1999. The piece honors and evokes April 19, 1775 including the Shot Heard Round the World, which is the focus of Concord's Patriots' Day commemoration.
The Concord Band has members from 40 communities including Concord and is supported by grants from the Concord and Bolton Cultural Councils. The Band plays concerts during the summer on Thursday evenings at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard MA.
