THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607030243
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: 54 lines
THE HALF-CENTURY old Peninsula Concert Band will be in town July 12 with a Boston Pops type of presentation.
``We'll have a lot of show tunes, patriotic numbers, marches and light classics,'' said Bobby McWithey, the librarian. ``It will be an Independence Day type of presentation.''
That means the obvious - songs by George M. Cohan and Stephen Foster and, on a more regional level, songs like ``Marching Through Georgia'' and ``Dixie.''
The Civil War is expected to figure importantly in the concert.
``We will probably do `The Blue and The Gray,' '' McWithey said.
The country is covered with ``God Bless America'' and ``America the Beautiful.'' The world is covered with ``God of Our Fathers.''
Other offerings include ``Grand American Fantasia,'' written at the turn of the century ``and,'' McWithey said, ``a great production of `The Star Spangled Banner.' ''
The area premiere of ``Holiday Overture'' will be offered in Smithfield.
The Peninsula Concert Band enjoys the accompaniment of tapping toes and humming audiences.
``We'll do sing-alongs if requested,'' said McWithey, whose husband, Bob, president of the band for many years, plays bass clarinet.
The band has about 50 members, 40 usually going out for each concert.
Two of the musicians have been with the organization since its inception - tuba player Stanley Chappell, and Cliff Fricke who plays trombone and euphonium.
Both are still going strong in their 70s.
Some of the musicians are retired from the Fort Monroe Army Band including its leader, William Schultz.
Another is lead clarinetist, Ishmael Augusto ``who,'' McWithey said, ``made a career playing with them.''
Because of the size of the band, most performances require very little travel.
``We play wherever we're asked in this area,'' McWithey said, noting that the restriction is due to ``the cost of transportation and the fact that a lot of our members have daytime jobs.
``Working stiffs have to be able to get their sleep at night,'' she said. ``We do this strictly for the love of music. We're all volunteers. No one in the group gets paid, not even the director.''
You pay nothing to hear the Peninsula Concert Band. It is a Smithfield freebie. MEMO: Smithfield's Summer Concert Series presents the Peninsula Concert
Band 8 p.m. July 12 at Times Square, in front of the Smithfield Times,
288 Main St. For more information, call 357-2388. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
The Peninsula Concert Band will perform at 8 p.m. on July 12 at
Times Square, in front of the Smithfield Times, 288 Main St. by CNB