In addition to performing as a full wind ensemble for seasonal and holiday concerts, the Maine Pops Concert Band has expanded its mission to conduct small ensemble performances to serve our regional area. These ensembles not only provide outreach opportunities to connect with various civic, educational, and religious groups, but also provides musical opportunities to Maine Pops musicians looking to build cohesiveness within their sections and expand on their performance experiences beyond the concert hall.
As 2025 began, the Maine Pops Concert Band had three ensembles providing entertainment opportunities to local groups: the Beach Street Big Band, Quince – the Maine Pops Woodwind Quintet, and the Maine Pops Flute Choir. Since then, the band members have formed the following small groups:
1) Clarinet Chromatics (clarinet choir) – open to all Maine Pops clarinet players
2) Six Sax 12 Sox (saxophone ensemble) – open to all Maine Pops saxophone players
3) Uniquehorns (French horn ensemble) – open to all Maine Pops French horn players
4) Polished Brass (brass ensemble) – open to all Maine Pops brass players
5) Harbor Brass Quintet (brass quintet) – 2 trumpets, French horn, euphonium, trombone
6) Tubby Tones (tuba/euphonium) ensemble – open to all Maine Pops tuba euphonium players
The Maine Pops Concert Band ensembles do not charge a performance fee, but do accept voluntary donations to help in the funding and acquisition of music to update and expand the small ensemble library.
The Beach Street Big Band
The Beach Street Big Band rehearses on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the First Parish Congregational Church, 12 Beach Street in Saco, ME. The ensemble plays traditional big band and swing music from the 30s, 40s, and 50s, plus more contemporary swing music. The band made its performance debut on December 13, 2024 as part of The Alumni Band’s Christmas concert in Biddeford, then held its initial solo performance on December 17 at Keeley’s Banquet Center in Portland.
Swing band organizers have filled positions for a traditional big band based on the instrumentation below:
4 trumpets
3 tenor trombones
1 bass trombone
2 alto saxophones
2 tenor saxophones
1 baritone saxophone
1 drummer with full set up
1 keyboard player
1 rhythm guitar player
1 string bass or bass guitar player
1 or 2 vocalists
Alternates/substitute musicians are being recruited from within the Maine Pops. Additional information on rehearsal dates, times, venue, music, etc. will be forthcoming.
The Maine Pops Flute Choir
Formed in October of 2022, the Maine Pops Flute Choir consists of up to eleven flautists who made their performance debut during the band’s December 2022 holiday benefit concerts at St. Luke’s Cathedral in Portland and at Mountainside Community Church in West Falmouth. The choir uses a variety of flutes – concert flute, piccolo, alto flute, and bass flute – to perform classical, contemporary, and religious works written specifically for flute ensemble. In the three years since its founding, the flute choir has performed at retirement homes and during church services in the Portland area.
Quince – The Maine Pops Woodwind Quintet
In January 2023, some of the principal players in the Maine Pops formed a woodwind quintet of flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, and bassoon. The quintet began playing at retirement communities that same month. The repertoire ranges from classical music by Barthe, Colomer, and Faure, to popular tunes including The Wizard of Oz, Teddy Bears’ Picnic, the Beatles’ When I’m Sixty-Four, and some original compositions. It is fun to hear the different sounds of the instruments, working together or playing off each other, creating a special musical experience that surprises and delights.
Organizations looking to request a Maine Pops Concert Band musical ensemble should contact president@mainepops.org.