Press Release

Concord Band Returns to North Bridge and Buttrick Garden

Concord, Mass., May 31, 2009 — The Concord Band will perform a free afternoon concert at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord on Sunday, June 14 at 3 pm (rain date June 21). The concert will take place in the historic Buttrick Garden at the North Bridge Visitor Center where the Band performed many summer concerts in the 1970s and 1980s in front of large crowds. This year marks the 50th anniversary of both the Concord Band and Minute Man National Historical Park.

Concord Band Music Director James O'Dell has chosen a program that will feature Flowing Pens from Concord by Roger Cichy, based on the writings of four Concord authors, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. This four-movement work was commissioned by the Band and premiered at the Band's 50th Anniversary Concert in March.

Another Concord Band commission, Boston Liberties by Julie Giroux, will also be on the program. Boston Liberties celebrates Boston's role as the maritime center of America in Colonial days. The concert will include other pieces of historical interest, including Concord by Clare Grundman, American Triptych by Jim Curnow, and Parade of the Tall Ships by Jay Chattaway, as well as a selection of marches, jazz and Broadway tunes.

This year is also the park's Fiftieth Anniversary. On September 21, 1959, the Congress of the United States of America established Minute Man National Historical Park to preserve and interpret important sites associated with the opening battle of the American Revolution; a battle that led to the creation of this country. It was here that the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired, igniting a flame of liberty that still burns brightly in the hearts of freedom loving people around the world.

Celebrations of the park's Fiftieth Anniversary are taking place April through September of 2009 with the theme "Honoring The Past; Inspiring The Future." There will be a series of special interpretive and educational events (including lectures, scholars forums, living history demonstrations, Ranger-led walks, concerts, and historical house "open houses") designed to serve 1.2 million park visitors, to engage youth and families and to attract new and diverse audiences.

About the Concord Band

The Concord Band, founded in 1959, is one of the leading community concert bands in the United States. It is well known for its innovative programming and the exceptional quality of its commissioned pieces. It presents formal and Pops concerts throughout the year, both at its permanent home, the Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden in Concord, and at its summer home, Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA.

About Minute Man National Historical Park

The 1,038-acre Minute Man National Historical Park includes the North Bridge, the Minute Man statue, and The Wayside, Home of Authors. The five-mile Battle Road Trail for walking, bicycle or wheelchair, follows remnants of the historic road, and visits historic houses, farming fields, wetlands, and forests. The historic Buttrick Garden and the North Bridge Visitor Center are located at 174 Liberty Street, in Concord, MA.

For additional information, contact Peter Norton, Concord Band Publicity. Visit our website at www.concordband.org.
Minute Man National Historical Park: (978) 369-6993, www.nps.gov/mima