The Lee County Community Band’s winter concert, “New Year – Traditions and New Beginnings!”, will be held Sunday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m., at Mariner High School in Cape Coral. Admission is free, and the community is warmly invited to attend.
Under the direction of Gil Peltola, the band will present a dynamic program of classic marches, Broadway highlights, beloved movie themes, Motown, Disney favorites and a lively audience sing-along.
The performance continues the band’s storied heritage as one of the oldest continuously operating community bands in the United States, tracing its origins to the Fort Myers Brass Band over 130 years ago.
Remaining concerts for this season are Feb. 15, March 15 and April 12. All concerts are free and begin at 3 p.m., also at Mariner High School, at 701 Chiquita Blvd N.
The Lee County Community Band was initially formed on Nov. 21, 1885, under the name of the Fort Myers Brass Band. The band known today as the Lee County Community Band was incorporated as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization in 1982. There have been many changes along the way. Still, one thing has been kept constant – its commitment to bring quality musical entertainment to the Lee County community and to never charge a fee to attend the concerts. The bandperforms six concerts each season, which runs from November of the current year to April of the following year, to a near-capacity audience.
The band’s 60-plus members are amateurs, semi-professional and professional musicians who volunteer their time and talent to share their love of music with concert attendees, just as the original members of the Fort Myers Brass Band did over 130 years ago, making the band one of the oldest surviving community bands in the USA.