A travel itinerary that includes a musical journey to France, Scandinavia, Central America, the British Isles, Spain, perhaps a few stops in America and an intergalactic journey will be available to those attending the Maine Pops Concert Band’s 2025 Spring Concert.
“Let’s Travel,” a 90-minute adventure in music will occur on Sunday, April 27 at the Winslow Homer Center for the Arts, located within Scarborough High School at 11 Municipal Drive in Scarborough, Maine. The musical adventure will begin at 2:30 p.m., with doors opening at 2.
To provide a wide view of musical cultures, Maine Pops Director David Watts has selected a variety of compositions for performance. “I had a lot of fun choosing the repertoire for this concert,” said Watts. He said two pieces form the core – Finlandia and An American in Paris — have become standards for symphonic bands.
“I experienced playing this exact transcription of Finlandia when I was in high school,” said Watts, “Not only did it make me a lover of [Jean] Sibelius, but I became intrigued to learn more about Finland. That is what the music of this entire concert is about. While we all – band members and concertgoers alike – are present in a single space, music of various cultures and times is helping transport us to places around the world. Or even OUT of this world!
In addition to Finlandia and George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, the spring concert will feature music ranging from marches, a pair of classical works and a symphonic movie suite. These works include compositions by Brian Balmages; Michael Giacchino, Alexander Courage, and Gene Roddenberry; Ballard McDonald and James F. Hanley; Robert Sheldon; Dmitri Shostakovich; John Philip Sousa, and Carl Strommen.
Watts added that as the Maine Pops grows musically, there has been talk among the band about traveling and sharing our music with others. “Who knows? Perhaps we’ll find the opportunity to visit one or more of the places we ‘visit’ in this concert. Come along on the journey with us!”
The band is soliciting a recommended $15 donation per person to attend the spring performance. Students can attend free of charge.
Now in its 36th year, the Maine Pops has become one of the largest community concert bands in Maine. There are currently over 100 musicians registered to perform with the band during its 2024-2025 season. Most will be in performance on April 27 — the band’s first full concert since their December holiday engagement at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center in Westbrook, Maine.
For more information about scheduling, joining, contributing, or sponsoring the Maine Pops Concert Band, please visit http://www.mainepops.org.
