From the Morris Plains Community Band:
Morris Plains Community Band to play August concerts at Roberts Garden
The Morris Plains Community Band is planning a series of Wednesday evening
concerts in Roberts Garden for August 2022.
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 August at 6:30 pm, the concerts will feature a
different program with a different theme each week.
On Aug. 3, our traditional swing jazz big band, the Swing Tones, will present a program of big band hits of the 1930’s and 1940’s, featuring the music of Glenn Miller, Count Basie and other popular band leaders of the time.
The Swing Tones also will feature the vocal stylings of Mark Gold, who will perform songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, etc.
Subsequent Wednesday evening concerts throughout August are free and will feature the following programs: Broadway Bound, Familiar Classics, Hurray for Hollywood and Patriotic Fever.
The concerts will be held in Roberts Garden Park at the corner or 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.
The 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 more than 60 members.
As the band is a “no-commitment, no-obligation” volunteer organization, it normally features about 30 musicians at concerts. The band is made up of musicians ranging in age from 17 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.
Our mission: To provide an opportunity for people to enjoy playing music, and to
perform our music for those who would enjoy it.
