MORRIS PLAINS — The Morris Plains Community Band is planning a series of concerts for August 2023. The concerts offer an opportunity for the public to hear and enjoy a true American tradition – the town band, consisting of friends and neighbors, performing a concert in the town park.
On Wednesdays throughout the month of August at 6:30 p.m., the concerts will feature a different program with a different theme each week. The concerts will be held in Roberts Garden Park at the corner of Glenbrook Road and Mountain Way and only will be held in nice weather.
There is no indoor location in case of inclement weather, and there are no rain dates. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy this truly American small-town tradition.
On August 2, the MP Community Band will feature Music of the Great American Composers. Included will be works by John Williams, Richard Rogers, John Phillip Sousa, Henry Mancini, LeRoy Anderson, Leonard Bernstein, and others. This concert also will feature our Morris Plains Community Choir, a 40-voice chorus made up of members of local church, temple, and amateur community choirs. Our choir will be joining us in performing several patriotic selections.
On August 9, our traditional swing jazz big band, the Swing Tones, will present A Tribute to Glenn Miller. The Swing Tones also will feature the vocal stylings of Mark Gold, who will perform songs made famous by Ray Eberle and Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
On Aug.16th, the MP Community Band will present Music from Around the World, featuring music by Grieg (Norway), Holst (Britain), Offenbach (France), Ravel (France), Rossini (Italy), Shostakovich (Russia), Strauss (Austria) and Tchaikovsky (Russia) among others.
On August 23, the Swing Tones will present The Count and The Duke, a program of the 1930’s and 1940’s swing jazz of Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
On August 30, the MP Community Band will present a program of music from the World War II years, featuring Big Band hits by Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Elllington, and Count Basie, as well as music by Frank Sinatra, Henry Mancini, and others.
The Morris Plains Community Band, a “reincarnation” of the original Morris Plains Cornet Band that existed from 1888 to 1953, was re-established in October 2015 and currently has over 60 members.
As the band is a “no-commitment, no-obligation” volunteer organization, it normally features about 40 musicians at concerts. The band is made up of musicians ranging in age from 14 to 89 and includes middle and high school students, recent college graduates, and older musicians, many of whom haven’t played since their own school days.
The Morris Plains Community Band is conducted by Larry Ripley, a retired musician, and bandleader who is the third member of his family to lead a town band.
To learn more about the Morris Plains Community Band, contact Larry at (973)998-1081 or just get that horn out of the closet and stop in at the Morris Plains Community Center some Wednesday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Morris Plains Community Band Needs Your Support!
While they are an all-volunteer organization, we do have expenses and they do need equipment. If you would like to make a donation, please make your check payable to the Morris Plains Community Band Inc., and mail it to the Morris Plains Community Band Inc., P O Box 25, Morris Plains, NJ 07950. The Morris Plains Community Band is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Any donation is fully tax deductible as a charity contribution.
Their mission: To provide an opportunity for people to enjoy playing music, and to perform our music for those who would enjoy it.
