The Auburn Community Band begins its 26th season of free concerts, 7 p.m. Wednesday at Festival Plaza.

Community band starts season

AUBURN – The Auburn Community Band, under the direction of Milt Simon, will kick off its annual summer series of weekly outdoor evening concerts at Festival Plaza in downtown Auburn tonight.

The 7 p.m. performance will be the first of 11 programs to be offered this summer.

The free concerts will continue each Wednesday evening through Aug. 22, weather permitting.

Free parking is available in the parking garage located across the street from the Plaza.

This year marks the 26th season for band conductor Milt Simon. Simon first organized 15 individuals in the fall of 1981 to form the Auburn Community Band.

This season, the group numbers 46 volunteer musicians who range in age from 16 to 82 and together represent a total of 15 central and southern Maine communities.

Last year, Simon was named Maine Citizen Volunteer of the Year Award by the Maine Recreation and Park Association.

The city of Auburn followed up the announcement with a proclamation recognizing Simon “for his quarter century of community service, and enriching our lives with music and entertainment as director of the Auburn Community Band.” Simon said 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 commonly attracts an average of 400 to 500 people to its weekly concerts.”

The June 13 opening night performance will feature the new songs the band has added to its repertoire during the winter rehearsals, including a medley from the show “West Side Story,” original music written by Leroy Anderson, and songs made popular by the group Earth, Wind and Fire.

Also listed in the opening night program are a couple of big band tunes, an arrangement of “God Bless the USA” and some audience favorites from the past 25 seasons.

Throughout the next two months, the band will present a different musical theme and selection of songs every Wednesday evening.

The concert program scheduled for this summer is as follows:

June 13, “Opening Night, 26th Season!”; June 20, “Music Heard Around the World”; June 27, “Music of Famous Composers”; July 4, “An Evening of Patriotic Music”; July 11, “Forgotten But Unforgettable”; July 18, “It’s Show Time!”; July 25, “Big Band and Dance Music.”

Also, Aug. 1, “America’s Favorite Songs”; Aug. 8, “Famous Groups and People”; Aug. 15, “Take Two!” (make-up of any previous program canceled due to weather); Aug. 22, “The Auburn Community Band’s Greatest Hits.”

People planning to attend a performance should bring their own lawn chair.

The band is co-sponsored by the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department, HRH Northern New England and the Gleason Radio Group.

For more information, call the APRD at 784-0191 or visit the band’s Web site at www.auburncommunityband.org.