News - Maine POPS Concert Band

Maine Pops Announces 35th Anniversary Summer Schedule

The summer concert season has arrived, and the Maine Pops Concert Band officially begins its 2023-2024 performance schedule with a series of concerts during June, July, and August.

Following a well-attendance performance of their 2023 Spring Concert at Scarborough High School on April 30, the band – which serves the greater Portland metropolitan area – will perform selections used during their 2022-2023 fall and spring concerts, plus one or two extra works for the 2023 summer season. Last year’s summer concert series was widely attended by audiences seeking live musical entertainment in their communities. This year, the Maine Pops summer concerts are part of the band’s 35th anniversary commemoration.

On Saturday, June 24, the Maine Pops will join 15 other community bands for the return of the annual R.B. Hall Music Festival being hosted this year in Richmond, ME. R.B. Hall was a Maine-born march composer who is honored at the festival – traditionally held annually on the last Saturday in June. The June event marks the first official R.B. Hall Festival since 2019; it was halted for three years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Maine Pops Concert Band is scheduled to perform from 1:50 to 2:30 p.m. In addition, some members of the Maine Pops will join musicians of the other bands at 12:30 p.m. for a massed band performance of R.B. Hall marches.

The band’s 2023 public performance summer schedule includes four engagements; three in the greater Portland area. Its first community performance is a return visit to Portland’s Heseltine Park on Wednesday, July 19, beginning at 6 p.m. On Friday, August 4, the band will travel to Bath, ME to perform at the city’s Freedom Park Gazebo at 6:30 p.m. and will follow that performance with a trek to Falmouth’s Village Green for a 6:30 p.m. Monday performance on August 7. Their final public summer concert will be Wednesday, August 16 with a 7 p.m. performance at the Village Green in Cape Elizabeth. All public concerts are free to attend, but the band will accept donations to cover administrative costs.

The band is also performing summer concerts at a pair of retirement communities in the Portland region. Concert venues include Portland’s Park Danforth community and at 100 State Street. Although these are the only two retirement communities currently on the Maine Pops schedule, other engagements may be added. For more information about dates, time and additions for these retirement community performances, please contact the community retirement centers directly.

The Maine Pops Concert Band encourages musicians of all ages – from school-age to senior citizens, and of all abilities to foster a life-long love of music, music history, performance, and our shared heritage. The band provides opportunities for musicians to enhance their musical skills and knowledge and serve the social welfare of our communities through the study, performance, and presentation of concert band music. The band is currently recruiting musicians from the greater Portland area in its efforts to fill positions in the clarinet, trumpet, trombone, French horn, euphonium, and percussion sections.

Information regarding the summer schedule is available on the Maine Pops website at www.mainepops.org, or through its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mainepops. For questions regarding the band’s summer events, contact president@mainepops.org or sbarrett@mainepops.org.

The Maine Pops is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation. Contributions may be tax-deductible.

Maine Pops Flute Choir Performs at The Woods at Canco

The Maine Pops Flute Choir – an element of the Maine Pops Concert Band – performed a concert for residents of The Woods at Canco in Portland, ME on April 15.

The flute choir, led by the band’s Patty Lawson, is comprised of flautists from the Maine Pops and was first organized in late 2022. Its first performances were during the band’s Christmas benefit concerts in 2022. The ensemble performs at various community events throughout the greater Portland area to support the band and promote music in the community.

A segment of the performance – Ashokan Farewell by American folk composer Jay Ungar – was the final composition of their concert and is viewable at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyPwm5RI0gE

For more information about requesting the flute choir for a performance, please contact band president Bob Swerdlow at president@mainepops.org.

Maine Pops at 35 – Concert Band to Perform Coral Anniversary Spring Concert April 30 in Scarborough

The coral anniversary (35 years) is a significant landmark between the silver and golden anniversaries. In Native American culture, coral is said to be a symbol of protection, having magical attributions against disease and danger. Coral is also considered an aid to bringing good luck and fortune. It signifies the importance of family and community, while encouraging people to enjoy life, have fun, and overcome challenges and obstacles. Coral represents a reminder to stay positive and never give up on our dreams.

Sounds like a perfect theme to represent what the Maine Pops Concert Band plans to celebrate 35 years in 2023. The band has protected itself well from the COVID-19 pandemic and overcome the pandemic challenges. It takes pride in promoting community importance to the band’s mission of “Building Community through Music,” and it provides band members the chance for our musicians to enjoy life, have fun and continue our musical dreams through performance.

In celebration of their 35th anniversary, the Maine Pops will conduct the first of two 35th anniversary concerts on Sunday, April 30, beginning at 2:30 p.m. at the Winslow Homer Center for the Arts in Scarborough, Maine. The Winslow Homer Center is located inside Scarborough High School, located at 11 Municipal Drive. It’s the band’s first auditorium performance since November of 2019, and its first concert in Scarborough since 2018!

For followers of the Maine Pops Concert Band who are not able to attend the spring concert, the band is live streaming the performance through Facebook. The link to the performance will be: https://www.facebook.com/mainepops.

"This 35th Anniversary Year has given me an opportunity to dig even deeper into the band’s past," said Maine Pops Director David Watts. "Our concerts will offer highlights of concerts over the past three and half decades but as my heart always does, I’ve chosen pieces that are new for our members and audiences that will continue to push our boundaries." Watts added that Maine POPS at 35 shows "…what the band has achieved, what we are achieving, and what we are capable of achieving as we look forward to the next 35 years."

A second 35th anniversary performance is planned for the band’s fall concert in November.

Formed as the Italian Heritage Band in 1988, the ensemble was renamed as the Maine Pops Concert Band in 2016. The band provides community service to the Greater Portland area, reaching out to its audiences at performances throughout the year.

“It’s the best of 35 years of outstanding concert music, performed by one of Maine premier concert bands,” said Robert Swerdlow, president of the Maine Pops. The band continues to return toward pre-pandemic numbers, with Swerdlow saying it now has 70 players strong.

To commemorate the band’s past and present, Maine Pops Concert Band Director David Watts selected a variety of compositions for the spring concert. Some selections were chosen as a reflection of music performed in the past by both the Italian Heritage Band and the Maine Pops. He’s combined those selections with some newly acquired compositions; all to provide a wide variety of music for attendees of all ages.

Featured tunes include Hans Zimmer’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”, Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” Luigi Denza’s “Funiculi Funicula,” a Sammy Nestico arrangement of “Maleguena,” and Modest Mussorgsky’s finale from “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Also slated are works by John Philip Sousa, native Maine march composer R. B. Hall, Percy Grainger and more. “If you ever played in a community or school band or had a kid in one,” said Swerdlow, “this concert is sure to inspire, entertain and delight!”

A suggested donation of $15 per person is being accepted at the door. No donations are required for students attending the concert. Donations are accepted to help with the band’s administrative costs.

Maine Pops continues to recruit musicians.

As the band continues its final preparations, its members know they also have large summer concert schedule in and around the Greater Portland area. The band has already accepted numerous public and private requests for summer performances, and will perform music from both the 2022 fall concert and its 2023 spring performances.

To meet those requirements and to build for our 2023 fall concert, the Maine Pops continues to recruit local musicians to fill its ranks. The band has a critical need for clarinet, trumpet, trombone, French horn, and percussion performers to meet the bands increasing performance schedule and repertoire.

All musicians within the Maine Pops are community volunteers with a love and desire for concert band performance can join; we are looking for musicians of all ages to join our ranks. Musicians are not required to audition, but they must have a concert band instrument, be able to read music and meet current COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

Musicians interested in joining the Maine Pops, can contact band president Bob Swerdlow at president@mainepops.org for more information.

The Maine Pops is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation. Contributions may be tax-deductible.

SAVE THE DATE: Maine Pops Concert Band to Perform its 2023 Spring Concert April 30 in Scarborough

The first in a series of 35th anniversary concerts by the Maine Pops Concert Band – its annual spring concert – will take place on Sunday, April 30 at 2:30 p.m. at the Winslow Homer Center for the Arts in Scarborough, Maine. The Winslow Homer Center is located inside Scarborough High School, located at 11 Municipal Drive.

It is the first time since November 18, 2018, that the band will perform publicly at Scarborough High, and it marks the first auditorium-based performance for the band since November of 2019.

Formed as the Italian Heritage Band in 1988, the Maine Pops is currently conducting weekly rehearsal sessions, working on 13 compositions for its spring concert. Some of the selections were chosen by Maine Pops Director David Watts as a reflection of music performed in the past by both the Italian Heritage Band and the Maine Pops. He has combined those selection with some newly acquired compositions; all to provide a wide variety of music for attendees of all ages.

The band will formally announce the performance lineup, as well as admission fees and auditorium guidelines as the concert approaches.

The Maine Pops Concert Band provides a community service to the Greater Portland area, reaching out to its audiences by “Building Community Through Music.” The band enjoyed a successful fall and holiday performance season, and will follow the spring concert with a series of summer performances in public and private settings around the Portland area.

Maine Pops continues to recruit musicians.

As the band prepares for its spring concert and summer performance schedule, it is still looking for local musicians to fill its ranks. The Maine Pops has a critical need for clarinet, trumpet, trombone, French horn, and percussion performers to help meet the band’s increasing performance schedule and repertoire. All musicians within the Maine Pops are community volunteers with a love and desire for concert band performance. The band is looking for other local musicians of all ages to join its ranks.

The band plans to reach out to local colleges, and high schools to inform and recruit potential members, but it is also soliciting through the band’s web and social media outlets to bring instrumental musicians into the band. If interested in joining the Maine Pops, please contact band president Bob Swerdlow at president@mainepops.org for more information.

The Maine Pops is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation. Contributions may be tax-deductible.

Maine Pops Concert Band Looking to Community for Donations, Contributions for 2023

Financing a non-profit musical organization takes a lot of work dedicated to soliciting donations, conducting fundraising, and writing requests for grants. For community bands like the Maine Pops Concert Band, raising funds to finance its annual operation requires the help from the community it serves.

In the spirit of the recent “Giving Tuesday” observance following Thanksgiving, the Maine Pops is again looking to its community for donations and grants that will help keep concert band music in our local communities. Contributions by its members, and through the generosity of donors – individuals and groups – are important to meet our annual expenses.

In a Maine Pops 2023 Donation Appeal Letter focused on donors and contributors that was released December 1, Maine Pops President Bob Swerdlow expressed his thanks to those donors who already support the band’s work financially, while also appealing for new donors to consider a tax-deductible gift this year.

“As an educational non-profit organization, we work to build community through music,” said Swerdlow. “Our members are diverse in age, experience, and ability. Yet, they all share one thing: a love of playing band music.”

In addition, Swerdlow said the Maine Pops will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2023, with grants and donations needed to help the band in its celebration events.

The Maine Pops – a 60-member community band serving the Greater Portland Area – does its fair share of contributing its musical talents to help raise funds for various organizations and charities. It is season-long campaign to “build community through music” began in with a series of summer concerts, an annual fall concert in Portland, and a pair of Christmas benefits performances slated for December.

Community members interested in donating to the Maine Pops can do so by sending a check made out to “Maine Pops” to Laura Merten, Maine Pops Treasurer, 72 Harbor Place, South Portland, ME 04106. Contributors may also donate using Venmo to Victoria Swerdlow at (207) 712-7119.

For more information about contributing, please send a note to president@mainepops.org.

The Maine Pops Concert Band is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation.

Maine Pops Christmas Concerts to Raise Special Funds for Two Area Churches

The Portland-based Maine Pops Concert Band will again collaborate with two area churches in holiday fundraising efforts, performing a pair of Christmas Concerts to celebrate the holiday season and close out their 2022 performance schedule.

Fresh off their successful fall concert held November 20, the 60-member community band has spent three weeks rehearsing 13 holiday-focused compositions. These selections will offer a wide variety of music ranging from “Feliz Navidad” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to “Greensleeves and “The Holly and the Ivy.”

And yes…the band will again perform Leroy Anderson’s holiday classic, “Sleigh Ride.”

The first of the two benefit concerts will be held Sunday, December 11, beginning at 2:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Cathedral, located at 143 State Street in Portland. This concert continues a long-standing Maine Pops tradition of holiday fundraising with St. Luke’s.

“These are challenging times for all food pantries,” said Mary Brighthaupt, Executive Director of St. Luke’s Food Pantry – the primary focus of the concert’s fundraising effort this year. She said that throughout the year, the pantry supports nearly 600 families and has been a reliable neighborhood resource for decades. “Many are new Mainers with multiple challenges such as language, housing, and transportation. The support of Maine Pops allows us to meet these challenges.”

Three days later, the Maine Pops will return to the Mountainside Community Church, located at 18 Mountain Road in Falmouth, on December 14 for a 7 p.m. concert. Like with St. Luke’s, the Maine Pops has a long-standing relationship with the Mountainside church.

Diane Ray, the wife of Mountainside Community Church pastor Mac Ray and a member of the Maine Pops, said Mountainside is dedicating much of the concert collections to purchasing a wheelchair for a young man with special needs who needs a replacement chair. Additional money will also go into supplementing Mountainside’s homeless ministry efforts.

The Maine Pops will take a holiday break following the December 14 performance, and begin work on their spring and summer performance season on January 11 at Scarborough High School from 7 to 9 p.m. The band is slated to perform a 2:30 p.m. spring concert on April 30, and the band is recruiting for new musicians. The Maine Pops is in need for clarinet, oboe, trumpet, French horn, and percussion players, but is open to accepting all concert band musicians.

If interested in joining the band, please send a note to president@mainepops.org to apply.

The Maine Pops Concert Band is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation. Contributions may be tax-deductible.

Maine Pops Concert Band to Perform its 2022 Fall Concert November 20

The first of three final 2022 concerts by the Maine Pops Concert Band will take place on Sunday, November 20, at 2:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Cathedral, located at 143 State Street in Portland.

“Maine Pops Unplugged” is the theme of band’s annual fall concert, with 11 compositions slated to provide a wide variety of music for attendees of ages. The featured concert selections will include a couple of medleys featuring music from Adele and Tony Bennett, a big-band favorite, movie and television themes, and a concert march.

The band – under the direction of David Watts – is now approaching 35 years of community service to the Greater Portland area and reaching out to its audiences by “Building Community Through Music.” Following a successful summer concert series, the band is taking on new music and new challenges to provide community residents with memorable performances while continuing to recruit musicians into the organization.

“This season we are excited to welcome quite a few new players into the band,” said Watts. “As folks have moved around the state and the country, they’ve brought a wealth of musical talent with them. This has only enhanced the sound of Maine Pops as we continue to rebuild and welcome musicians back into our ranks after the COVID shutdowns.”

Watts said the fall concert is programmed to explore some of the big names in music over the last century and beyond, such Glenn Miller, John Phillip Sousa, Samuel Barber, Adele, Vaughan Williams, and Tony Bennett. “We hope to introduce you to some rarely heard pieces from well-known composers, as well as contemporary takes on classic folk songs,” said Watts. “And adding to it all are some thrilling – and perhaps even chilling – sounds from TV and film. With all of this, we bring you Maine POPS, Unplugged!”

The concert is open to the public, with donations of $10 per person accepted at the door to help defer operating costs for the performance.

Holiday Benefit Concerts in December

Once the fall concert is complete, the Maine Pops will quickly move into holiday mode and prepare for two Christmas benefit concerts in December. On December 11, the band returns to St. Luke’s for a 2:30 p.m. concert. The performance continues a long tradition of holiday concerts between the Maine Pops and St. Luke’s, with proceeds going to the church’s humanitarian efforts in and around the Portland area.

The band will conclude its holiday season with its second holiday concert on Wednesday, December 14 at the Mountainside Community Church, located at 18 Mountain Road in Falmouth, ME. As with the St. Luke’s holiday concert, proceeds from the Mountainside performance will go to humanitarian efforts in the Portland region.

For more information, please contact president@mainepops.org or sbarrett@mainepops.org.

The Maine Pops is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation. Contributions may be tax-deductible.

SAVE THE DATES: Maine Pops Concert Band Announces its 2022 Fall and Holiday Concert Schedule

The Maine Pops Concert Band – serving communities in the greater Portland area – has announced its concert schedule for the 2022 Fall and Holiday season.

The band – now approaching 35 years of community service to the Greater Portland area – will be performing three concerts to finish 2022, beginning with its annual Fall concert slated for Sunday, November 20, at 2:30 p.m. The performance will be held at St. Luke’s Cathedral, located at 143 State Street in Portland, ME. The band – under the direction of David Watts – is currently rehearsing potential compositions for the fall event and it will announce its concert line-up as the event approaches.

With the Christmas holidays just a few months away, the Maine Pops will return to St. Luke’s on Sunday, December 11, for the first of two regional holiday benefit concerts. The St. Luke’s concert – also slated for 2:30 p.m. – continues a long tradition of holiday concerts between the Maine Pops and St. Luke’s, with proceeds going to the church’s humanitarian efforts in and around the Portland area.

The band will conclude its holiday season with its second holiday concert on Wednesday, December 14 at the Mountainside Community Church, located at 18 Mountain Road in Falmouth, ME. Proceeds from the Mountainside performance will go to humanitarian efforts in the Portland region.

Updated information on the musical selections, admission prices and donation recommendations will be announced prior to each event.

For more information on the Maine Pops Concert Band and its 2022 Fall and holiday schedule, please contact president@mainepops.org or sbarrett@mainepops.org.

The Maine Pops is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation. Contributions may be tax-deductible.![]

Maine Pops Concert Band to Perform August 10 at Portland’s Heseltine Park

The Maine Pops Concert Band will continue its 2022 summer concert season with a public performance on Wednesday, August 10 at the in Portland’s Heseltine Park, beginning at 7 p.m. The park is located at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Irving Street in Portland.

Under the direction of David Watts, the 45-member ensemble will present a 60-to-75-minute concert featuring material from its fall 2021 and spring 2022 concerts, plus favorite traditional marches for those in attendance. This music includes medleys of big band and contemporary works, as well as selections from movies and musicals, and a couple of classical works. The concert is free to all wishing to attend. Bring a lawn chair, pack a picnic dinner, and enjoy the performance.

It is the final of three scheduled public performances by the Maine Pops this summer. In addition to its public schedule, the Maine Pops conducted several private performances benefitting residents of local area retirement communities. The band will have two remaining private performances following the Heseltine Park concert. The band will then go on break, resuming full band rehearsals on September 7 to prepare for the band’s fall and holiday season.

Established in 1988, the Maine Pops Concert Band is a non-profit community group that encourages musicians of all ages and abilities – from school age to senior citizens – to foster a life-long love of music, music history, performance, and heritage.

For more information about scheduling, joining, contributing, or sponsoring the Maine Pops Concert Band, please visit http://www.mainepops.org.

Maine Pops Concert Band to Perform July 27 Concert in Cape Elizabeth

The Maine Pops Concert Band will continue its 2022 summer concert season with a public performance on Wednesday, July 27 at the Cape Elizabeth Village Green, 326 Ocean House Road, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, beginning at 7 p.m.

Under the direction of David Watts, the 45-member ensemble will perform a 75-to-90-minute concert featuring material from its fall 2021 and spring 2022 concerts, plus favorite traditional marches for those in attendance. This music includes medleys of big band and contemporary works, as well as songs from movies and musicals, and a couple of classical works.

This will be the first of three public performances by the Maine Pops this summer, in addition to several private performances benefitting residents of local area retirement communities. The concert is free to all wishing to attend. Bring a lawn chair, pack a picnic dinner, and enjoy the performance.

For more information about joining, contributing, or sponsoring the Maine Pops Concert Band, please visit www.mainepops.org.