The Knoxville Community Band will give a free concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 24, at the Tennessee Amphitheatre at World’s Fair Park.
The concert will include a tribute to former Lady Vols Coach Pat Summitt with the performance of “Tennessee Salute,” a medley of songs that include “Wabash Cannonball,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “The Tennessee Waltz.” The piece closes with “Rocky Top.”
The concert will feature a worldwide tour, taking the audience from Broadway to Madrid and Argentina with a stop in Scotland along the way. In addition to Broadway musicals, sounds will include band marches and rock and roll.
“Highlights from the Sound of Music” will include familiar Rogers and Hammerstein songs such as “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi” and “The Sound of Music.”
“A Scottish Portrait” will include “Will Ye No Come Back Again?” “Scotland the Brave” and “The Highlander’s Farewell.”
The concert also will feature a bit of singer and songwriter Eric Clapton with “Eric Clapton on Stage.” The piece is a medley of “Let It Rain,” “Change the World,” “Forever Man,” “Tears in Heaven” and “Layla.”
The band is directed by Larry Hicks, retired band director of Heritage High School in Blount County. Mark Boring, also retired from the Blount County school system, is the assistant band director.
Dawn Patelke, retired band director of Union County High School, will be a guest director. She plays French horn in the band.
The Knoxville Community Band is comprised of instrumentalists in the community who like to play, and most have been playing since grammar school. Some players are band directors who like to take time out from their own bands to keep in practice on their major instruments, and others are professionals in the community who learned to play in school and don’t want to lose their expertise. All are volunteers, and all play because they love music.
Sponsored by the Knoxville Parks and Recreation Department, the group plays year round at festivals and other special events and performs a series of outdoor concerts during the summer. New members experienced with any band instruments are welcome. Practices are from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays at Northwest Middle School.
