Lima Area Concert Band kicks off 2021 season
Aug. 5—ELIDA — The Lima Area Concert Band (LACB) will be making a triumphant return this weekend, finally having the opportunity to celebrate 50 years of music. The 50th-anniversary celebration was supposed to take place last year, but shows were canceled across the board due to the pandemic.
Now, the band is getting back together, opening their comeback tour with a special Saturday night show at 7 p.m. at Elida High School. The show was originally meant for the Civic Center in downtown Lima, but stage damage prompted a venue change.
Composer James Swearengin will be a central part of the show, as he was not only commissioned to write music for the show, but will also be joining the band as a guest composer on Saturday. He has written more than 600 works throughout his career and has roots in Ohio, earning degrees from Bowling Green and Ohio State. He has dedicated much of his career to passing his music knowledge down through high school teaching and band directing.
"I was most humbled and delighted when the band asked me to write this piece for them. It was a wonderful opportunity to write for a very wonderful group of musicians whose reputations speak for themselves," Swearengin said. "I've certainly known about this Lima band for several years during my time spent in Ohio, so when they asked me if I would write this commission piece, I was more than willing to try and fulfill that obligation."
LACB President and trumpeter Chad Higgins explained what makes Swearengin and his upcoming performance with the band so special.
"He's a very well-known Ohio composer. Anybody who's been in band here knows his name," Higgins said.
After more than a year of anticipation, LACB members will finally get to debut the song that was written just for them on Saturday.
"That'll be something really special for us," Higgins said. "We wanted him to come up with some sort of song that was basically a song of celebration for our 50 years, and he definitely did that. It's a really neat song, the whole band really likes it."
Tickets are still available for $15 at the Civic Center box office, Von's Jewelry and online at the band website. Admission for students of all ages is free.
Reach Trevor Hubert at 567-242-0398
