The Hilton-Parma Gazebo Band, under the direction of Dr. Charles P. Schmidt, will present a series of free summer concerts. The concert series has been an annual tradition in Hilton since 1984. This year’s community concerts will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, June 11, June 18, and June 25, at Hilton Baptist Church, 50 Lake Avenue, Hilton.
The band plays a wide variety of concert band literature, including traditional marches, light classics, music of Broadway and Hollywood, popular music, and patriotic music. This year the band will play works by Elmer Bernstein, George Gershwin, Clare Grundman, Karl King, Henry Mancini, Pierre La Plante, Mitch Leigh, Arthur Pryor, and Alfred Reed, among others. The band will also feature soloists Bruce Pillman on euphonium, Mary Reazor on trombone, and Rachel Roussel on clarinet.
The Gazebo Band was founded in 1984 and was first directed by Hilton music educator, Gordon Bascom. The original group of approximately a dozen players performed for the Village of Hilton Centennial celebration and a larger group performed for the dedication of Centennial Park. The current conductor, Dr. Charles Schmidt, is in his sixteenth year of conducting the band. Mary Reazor, the last remaining charter member of the band, serves as the band’s manager, librarian, and lead trombonist.
The Gazebo Band is an all-volunteer organization that relies on donations from the community and individuals. The band is comprised of dedicated musicians from Monroe and Wayne counties. From its beginning, the band’s purpose has been to give area adult musicians a place to enjoy their musical gifts and to share them with the community.
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