Hurricane Lee has passed us by, cooler temperatures are arriving, and the leaves will begin changing colors soon. It is autumn in Maine – time for fall harvest, pumpkin spice everything and the fall season for the Maine Pops Concert Band.
The final phase of the Maine Pops’ 35th Anniversary celebration began September 6 when fall rehearsals started at Scarborough High School. Now two weeks into the season, the Maine Pops is focused on 10 musical selections it will perform at its 2023 fall concert, slated for November 19 at a place to be determined, beginning at 2:30 p.m.
In staying with the anniversary theme set at its spring concert, director David Watts has again selected material that represents past performances by both the Maine Pops and to the Italian Heritage Center Band – founded in 1988 and forerunner of the current Maine Pops. The fall concert will feature a variety of music – ranging from marches to medleys and classical to popular. Composers represented in the 2023 fall concert program include Gustav Holst, Eric Whitacre, Morton Gould, Franco Cesarini, John Phillip Sousa, and Billy Joel.
The band will release a full list of the performance compositions prior to the concert.
In addition to the fall concert in Scarborough, the Maine Pops also released the dates for its two Christmas holiday benefits concerts in December. The first will be Wednesday, December 13 at the Mountainside Community Church, located at 18 Mountain Road in Falmouth, ME. The second will be Wednesday, December 20 at St. Luke’s Cathedral at 143 State Street in Portland. Proceeds from the two concerts will go toward humanitarian programs sponsored by each congregation.
The Maine Pops Concert Band is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation. Contributions may be tax-deductible.