Auburn Community Concert Band begins 36th season of free events

AUBURN — The Auburn Community Concert Band, under the direction of Milt Simon, will kick off its annual summer series of weekly outdoor evening concerts Wednesday, June 14, beginning at 7 p.m. at Festival Plaza, a downtown location for outdoor performances on Main Street. This year marks the 36th anniversary since band director Milt Simon first organized this musical group.

The 43 volunteer musicians participating this summer range in age from 12 to 90, representing a total of 16 Maine communities.

This will be the first of 10 programs scheduled for Festival Plaza. The free concerts will continue weekly on Wednesday evenings through August 16, weather permitting. If inclement weather is forecast, the band will hold that week’s performance indoors at the Gendron Franco Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston, with one exception. If an indoor concert is needed June 21, that performance will take place at the Community Little Theater auditorium, 30 Academy St. The public is advised to visit the band’s website for up-to-the-minute information on concert locations and programs.

Simon noted the organization “gives many individuals a chance to utilize musical talents neglected since their high school days, and the entire community benefits.” He added that the Auburn group “is one of the larger community bands in the state of Maine, and often attracts from 300 to 400 people to its weekly concerts.”

Each week throughout the next two months, the band will present a different musical theme, featuring popular songs from the past 50 years. Simon stated the move to contemporary music as one of the group’s more significant changes of late.

“If you have a favorite song from the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s, chances are good the band will perform it sometime during our 10-week concert season.” Simon noted, in an effort to please audiences of all ages, many new songs were added to the band’s repertoire this past spring, including “Treasure,” “Take On Me,” “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” “The Bare Necessities” and a medley of hits by the Rolling Stones.

Members of this summer’s concert band are:
FLUTE — Susan Gayle, Barbara Jabaut, Carrie Palmer, Kellie Pelletier, River Stickney, Jackie Woods
CLARINET — Kiani Camire, Denise Leavitt, Dorothy LeClair, Emily McCarthy, Patti Pelletier, Rick Rau, Louise Theberge, Patricia Varney
BASSOON — Casey Arsenault, Hayden Pelletier
ALTO SAXOPHONES — Mary Briggs, Kerry Gould, David Griswold, Kyle McLellan
TENOR SAX — Angela Greenwald
BARITONE SAX — Jason Toussaint
TRUMPETS — Ivan Boudreau, Elliott Epstein, Stephen Lobley, Jill Longstaff, Alisson Morin, Maurice Morin, Nancy Morris
FRENCH HORNS — Stephanie Burke and Katrina Guignard
TROMBONES — Ben Barr, Sonny Begin, Margaret Berry, Fred Fahlsing, Chip Morrison, Tom Nelson
BARITONES — Dennis Marenius, Jason McVille
TUBAS — Mike Gamache, Duncan Webster
PERCUSSION — Dan Leclair, Laurie Swart

People planning to attend any of the Wednesday evening performances at Festival Plaza should bring their own lawn chair and are advised to arrive well before concert start time, as large audiences are again expected this summer. Ample free parking is available in the parking garage across the street from the plaza.

For more information, visit the band’s web site at www.auburncommunityband.com.