The Dexter Community Band ushers in its 38th season with a free concert honoring military veterans and their families on Sunday, Nov. 10.
The 75-member band will be joined by singer Chuck Colby from Three Men and a Tenor, as well as more than a dozen other local singers, who will perform Battle Hymn of the Republic; God Bless America; Gee, But I Want To Go Home; and Armed Forces Salute.
The 3 p.m. event will be held at the Center for Performing Arts in Dexter High School, 2200 North Parker Road, Dexter. Special seating will be available for veterans and their families.
“Veterans Day honors the sacrifices of those who served in times of conflict, as well as the millions of men and women who, throughout history, have served and continue to serve in defense of the ideals of democracy throughout the world and at home,” said Band Director William Gourley, who was an Army infantry sergeant in Vietnam. “Veterans and their families dedicate themselves to a greater mission than ‘self’ so others can enjoy the unalienable rights of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’”
Several other Dexter Community Band members are military veterans. Richard Dryer, John Ginther and John Stosick served in the Air Force. In addition to Mr. Gourley, William Aikman, J.P. Moore and Tony Savickas are Army veterans. Nick Tandy served in the Marines and David Zanghi is a Navy veteran.
Other musical selections include: Chester, by William Schuman; American Salute by Morton Gould; John Williams’ Liberty Fanfare; And two well-known John Philip Sousa favorites The Liberty Bell March and The Stars and Stripes Forever.
Dexter Community Band will perform four free concerts in the 2019-20 season. After the Nov. 10 performance, upcoming events are:
- Holiday Concert, Dec. 8, 2019;
- Winter Concert — Theme: Caribbean Cruising, March 8, 2020;
- Spring Concert — Theme: The Wild West, May 17, 2020.
Founded in 1982, the Dexter Community Band is comprised of volunteer musicians from the local area. A registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the band performs professional-level symphonic wind music at four free concerts a year. There are also several free “Evening of Ensembles” featuring small groups from the band. For additional information about the band or how to provide financial support, please visit http://www.dextercommunityband.org/.
