Perry Community Band to Play Summer Concert in Perry First on July 28th

The summer concert of the Perry Community Band will begin at 7:00 pm on July 28th at the First United Methodist Church, 35 Covington Street in Perry. The concert is free and open to the public, with an ice cream social following in the church social hall.

This year's concert's highlights music from, or about, countries that famed aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, landed in or flew over during her attempt to circumnavigate the globe in a Lockheed Electra airplane that was especially outfitted for the journey. She and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937 en route from New Guinea to Howland Island, a tiny strip of land halfway between New Guinea and Honolulu. Nothing was ever found of the plane or is two passengers, and her disappearance remains a mystery.

The band will be directed by our conductors who will alternate among the twelve numbers selected for the program. Jessie Barth, the permanent conductor and artistic director, will be joined on the podium by Raymond Suriani, Edward Van Zandt, and Christopher Taylor, all of whom are current or retired music educators.

Taylor will direct the world premier of his piece titled, "Among The Clouds" which he wrote this year and dedicated to the Band and features a clarinet solo by Debbie Dawson. Van Zandt is featured on solo trumpet in "Song Of India" by Rimsky-Korsakov, and a new comer to the band, bass vocalist Dale Suklow, will perform Roger and Hammerstein's "No Other Love." Dawn Mark will be the featured pianist for a Venezuelan dance number titled, "Joropo," written by Moises Moleiro. The concert will be topped off by soloist Andy Fischer playing the Alpine Horn and accompanied by the band on a number written by Dennis Armitage titled, "Alphorn Serenade." The program will be named by Joanne Barth.

This concert is one of two full band concerts during the year, with the other one coming next December 17th featuring Christmas and winter sseason music. A brass ensemble selected from the band will also perform at the Pioneer Picnic at the Pioneer Grounds at Silver Lake on August 4th.

The 50-piece Perry Community Band is comprised of volunteer musicians who are primarily from Perry and the surrounding area. Volunteers from Erie, Ontario and Genesee counties also participate. The band hopes you can join us on July 28th for this very special program.

This project is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Arts Council for Wyoming County.