'Brings back memories': What is the Taunton City Band and how can you join or listen?

TAUNTON — If you missed the Taunton City Band's recent performance at Lee Terrace, don't worry you'll have another chance coming right up to catch an outdoor concert free of charge.

The Taunton City Band will perform patriotic songs, show tunes and Beatles lyrics for people of all ages to enjoy outside the Fitzsimmons Arms apartment complex at 30 Olney St., on Aug. 2 at 7 p.m.

Band president Tom Waters said the concert is open to the general public and can be attended free of charge.

"Typically, we do three or four concerts yearly at Taunton Housing Authority complexes," he said. "All housing authority concerts are free of charge."

Waters said the band provides performances that generally last 90 minutes.

"We usually take a 10-minute break in the middle of the concert," he added.

The band performed in Taunton on July 26 outside Cedarvale Homes, a Housing Authority apartment complex on Lee Terrace that accommodates seniors and disabled tenants.

Rehoboth resident Sal Lopez, 26, said the band played a variety of tunes during the concert.

"They are really good," he said. "I like how they blend everything together."

The band is also scheduled to perform outside the Housing Authority complex  Caswell Grove apartments on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m.

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Waters said the concerts at the housing complexes are "sometimes attended by a fair amount of people."

"It's usually people who live in the various complexes," he added.

"We have a good band and good players. I want more people to hear us."

'Star Spangled Spectacular '

Waters said the band's upcoming concerts would include playing "Star Spangled Spectacular," which consists of patriotic tunes written by composer George M. Cohan.

Cohan's patriotic songs include "Over There," "The Yankee Doodle Boy," and "You're a Grand Old Flag."

Taunton City Band played some of these tunes during their concert outside Cedarvale Homes.

Broadway shows and Beatles tunes

Waters said the band would also perform a variety of Broadway show tunes during the upcoming concerts.

"We do quite a bit of show tunes," he said. "We have a medley of tunes from 'The Wizard of Oz,' 'Guys and Dolls' and 'The Sound of Music.'"

Waters said the band would perform some tunes by The Beatles, as well.

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Residents grade Taunton City Band

Lee Terrace resident Barbara McConnell, 72, said Taunton City's Band's performance of show tunes "brings back memories."

"I think they are a great band," she said while listening to them perform outside Cedarvale Homes.

Lee Terrace resident Kenia Reyes said seeing the band perform in her neighborhood "is great" because the pandemic caused the cancellation of a lot of in-person performances during the past two years.

"A lot of people here have not gone outside for a while," she said. "Most people here are watching the concert from their apartment windows."

Lee Terrace resident Betty Silvia, 74, said Taunton City Band is "darn good."

"They are great," she said. "I enjoy sitting here watching them."

Taunton City Band seeks players

Waters said Taunton City Band has approximately 24 members performing during concerts and about 21 instrumentalists participating in community parades.

"We are trying to increase the size and visibility of the band," he said. "We have been reaching out on social media."

Waters said the COVID pandemic got in the way with the band's ambition to grow larger because it couldn't rehearse in person "for a couple of years."

"We are just getting started up again," he said. "I just posted an announcement on our band's Facebook page and a couple of Taunton Facebook pages, and we got a couple of new members, which is cool. We now have a few percussionists."

Waters said the Taunton City Band members range in age from 16 to 75.

"We are trying to get more kids involved every year," he said. "We have a member or two that retire every year. I want to make sure the band keeps thriving."

Waters said the band consists of members that play drums, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, tubas, baritones and clarinets.

"We have a girl who joined the band and is a bassoon player," he said. "A woman who plays French horn wants to join the band."

Retired band conductor Louis Perry, 88, said he joined the band as a trombone player at age 12 in 1941.

"It's hard to get kids to play band instruments anymore," he said while watching the band perform outside Cedarvale Homes.

Perry said he hopes Taunton City Band's upcoming performances will encourage more youngsters to want to learn how to play an instrument and possibly join the band.

"From the time I was a young boy, I played trombone," he said. "I served as a conductor for 45 years before stepping down in 2013."

Perry said the band is a non-profit ensemble that has existed for nearly a century and performed at various community events.

"After World War II, the band welcomed military personnel returning home," he said.

Waters said Taunton City Band has been participating in Kingston's annual Memorial Day parade "for about 40 years."

"We've been in Fourth of July parades on Block Island during the past 30 or 35 years," he said. "We have participated in several Portuguese parades."

Additional information about the Taunton City Band and how to become a member is available online on Taunton City Band's Facebook page.  Inquiries about band membership can be made by emailing Waters at tauntoncityband@gmail.com, or by calling him at 774-259-6871.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton City Band plays patriotic songs, Broadway show tunes, Beatles