PETERSHAM – The Petersham Brass Band will open its summer concert season Sunday, June 30, with a celebration of its 850th performance. The band, organized in 1914, has been presenting summer concerts continuously every summer since, except for a couple of years during World War II and the Covid pandemic.
Sunday’s concert will be performed on the Bandstand on Petersham Common beginning at 7 p.m. The concert will be under the direction of former conductor Stuart Britton. Britton is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and a retired music educator having taught locally at Mahar Regional and Leicester high schools. He has also taught at North Attleborough and East Bridgewater High Schools.
Britton has announced the following program for this special presentation. Opening with the National Anthem and two marches, Semper Fidelis and the Concert March Thundercrest.
The overture will be “Festive Overture.” Other selections will include ”John Williams in Concert,” “Broadway Classics,” “Troubador,” which was written for the band by Britton, “Lion King Medley,” “King Cotton,” “Pirates of the Caribean,” “Downtown,” “Hootenany,” “Moon River,” and “Kokamo.”
The concert will conclude with the signature tune of the late director Earl Olson “Shadow of Your Smile” and “March and Go Home,” also written for the band by Britton. The program is subject to change.
Membership is open to anyone from high school age and up that enjoys making music. New members are always welcome.
There will be refreshments offered up at the band’s hot dog stand as well as a baked goods sale and popcorn offered up by the Lions Club. In the event of rain, the concert will move into the town hall.