Fairfield Municipal Band concerts begin Tuesday

The Fairfield Municipal Band, sponsored by the Fairfield Park and Recreation Department, will begin its 25th summer concert season Tuesday in the Central Park bandstand.

Six concerts are scheduled throughout the summer at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays.

The Fairfield Municipal Band is made up of musicians from Fairfield and Jefferson, Washington and Van Buren counties. The band members range from high school age to players in their 80s.

?It?s definitely a community project,? said band director Jim Edgeton. ?We have old playing next to young, experienced playing next to rookies, and all learning from each other. The playing experience is really good for all of the members.?

The municipal band was organized in 1986 by previous Fairfield High School band director Ron Prill, who also was the commander and director of the 34th Army National Guard Band stationed in Fairfield. The guard band performed concerts on the square for many years, playing every Tuesday night during the summer months. The guard band discontinued the concerts in the early ?80s. For a few years, there was not a regular performing group in Fairfield until the municipal band was organized to take the place of the guard concerts. Prill put together a group of local musicians who began playing as the Fairfield Municipal Band the summer of 1986, and there has been a concert season every summer since then.

The band will perform concerts every Tuesday in July except July 5, and the first two Tuesdays in August. Music performed at the concerts include traditional marches, concert overtures, Broadway musical medleys, folk music, world music and patriotic music.

?It is a time to enjoy the outdoors, listen to music you can?t hear everywhere anymore, and enjoy being together with other people,? Edgeton said.

Concerts are free and open to the public.

Each week?s program will run in The Ledger on the Monday before the concert.