The Blawenburg Band plans to commemorate its 125th Anniversary year with a free gala concert on Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m. The show will be located at the Hopewell Valley Central High School Performing Arts Center, 259 Pennington Titusville Road in Pennington.
The anniversary concert will feature a selection of music from the concert band repertoire, including pieces by von Suppe, Verdi, Grainger, Lerner & Loewe and others, with the usual mix of marches, an overture, a dance, two tributes and two world premieres of original compositions.
The concert will offer free admission and a post-show reception with refreshments and live Dixieland music by several band members.
The band has approximately 75 active members who range in age from teenagers to seniors. They are dedicated amateurs as well as musicians with formal musical training and professional experience. Members include teachers, business people, computer specialists, homemakers, medical professionals and active retirees.
Founded in Blawenburg, New Jersey in 1890, the Blawenburg Band continues a great tradition that began when towns depended on their own people for live musical entertainment. The group is one of the oldest community bands in the state and among the most active. Conducted since 1985 by Dr. Jerry Rife, Professor of Music and Chair of the Fine Arts Department at Rider University, the band performs 25 to 30 concerts a year throughout the area. They play at holiday parades, community celebrations, church socials, and at many senior centers and retirement homes. Some of the most popular and well attended concerts are the summer outdoor series in Hopewell, the annual concert at the Princeton Shopping Center and the Fourth of July celebration in Yardley, PA.
For more information visit BlawenburgBand.org or call (609) 688-1352.
