Community band readies for full slate this summer
Jun 26, 2022
Members of the Dartmouth Community Band’s woodwinds section perform during a recent practice. Photos by: Christopher Shea
Quillan Lowney plays the baritone.
Conducter John Furtado leads the band.
Tom Vieira grooves on the bass guitar.
Sheets of some of the songs that will be performed this summer.
Soon-to-be ninth grader Noh Valoso hits his bass drum.
The sounds of summer are coming to town.
With the school year ended and the season in full swing, the Dartmouth Community Band is preparing for its biggest year of music yet.
Conductor John Furtado noted the band, which includes people of all ages and backgrounds, has received more than 60 sign ups this year.
“Of course not everyone is going to be here every week,” he said.
There are also some returning instruments to the lineup: horns and bass clarinets — that were missing from last year’s shows.
Furtado attributes the growth to a large crossover with many other musical groups in the region, along with word of mouth since the band’s formation in 1974.
“More and more people know each other and are bouncing around,” he said.
Not only is the band’s size growing, but its schedule is as well.
Last year, the band was present to play at the inaugural lighting of the buoy tree in Padanaram Village. Several members of the band also participated in the Memorial Day parade for the first time in the group’s nearly 50-year history.
For the summer, in addition to their weekly shows at Apponagansett Park, there are plans for an outdoor show at the Residence at Cedar Dell and a performance outside the Dartmouth Historical and Arts Society schoolhouse on July 2.
There is also the possibility of a show during the Padanaram Village Summer Festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 30.
Currently, the band is rehearsing Patriotic tunes for the Fourth of July such as “God Bless the USA” and “Armed Forces on Parade.”
The group is also looking to add the beach-friendly sounds of Jimmy Buffett to their upcoming shows at the Apponagansett Park gazebo. There are also plans to bring in music from Jurassic Park and Top Gun as a tribute to the latest releases from those blockbuster franchises.
“A lot of fun pop stuff,” Furtado said.
Shows at Apponagansett Park will be performed every Tuesday at the park at 6:30 p.m. and are free to attend. The season will run from July 5 to Aug. 23.
To sign up for the community band, visit the group’s Facebook page or send an email to dartmouthcommunityband@gmail.com.
