Sumter Community Concert Band opens 2919-20 season Sunday at Patriot Hall

The Sumter Community Concert Band bids hot temperatures farewell with a concert of varied music styles at 3 p.m. Sunday at Patriot Hall. Movie and Broadway themes and scores, pop songs, marches, patriotic songs, even "Bugs Bunny's Greatest Hits" will be on Sunday's program.

SCCB spokesman and trumpet player Rick Mitchum promised something for every music lover's palate during the band's opening concert of the 2019-20 season.

"As always, we'll open the concert with the 'Star-Spangled Banner,'" he said. That's been the custom since 1982 when the band was founded.

Under the direction of James H. "Jimmy" Mills since 2004, SCCB presents at least four concerts a year, with music selected by the conductor to please both the audience and the musicians.

Mitchum noted that Emmett Anglin, a trumpet player and music arranger, has arranged two of the pieces in Sunday's concert.

"Emmett is doing a lot of arranging," he said. "On Sunday, we'll play 'Go,'" which he arranged and will conduct. He's gotten into arranging old marches from the Civil War period. We'll also play his arrangement of the American Red Cross March."

Louis Panella composed it to honor the work done by the Red Cross during World War I.

Joni Mabry Brown, who plays clarinet and conducted the band from 1984-88, will lead the musicians in playing "Ammerland," composer Jacob de Haan's musical impression of that region of Germany.

With the recent release of the live action film of "The Lion King," SCCB will play a medley of songs from the stage production. Several band members will have solo parts in the medley that features such songs as "Circle of Life," "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" and "Hakuna Matata."

A medley of Bugs Bunny's favorite tunes includes "The Barber of Seville," Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody," Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" and more.

Music from the theme of the film score of "Schindler's List," composed by John Williams, will feature guest soloist and violinist Lauren Decker. Williams won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the emotional, moving soundtrack.

"Danse Bacchanale" from the opera "Samson and Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saens, showcases the SCCB percussion session. Based on a story in the book of Judges in the Old Testament, the piece evokes a scene of the "beautiful, treacherous" Delilah charming Samson into revealing the secret of his great strength.

"Jimmy always likes to include a sacred piece in each concert," Mitchum said. "This concert will feature 'Let Us Rejoice: Fanfare and Hymn,'" arranged by Bill Locklear. The piece features a maestoso - majestic and dramatic - ending.

The approximately 75-minute concert features several other pieces, as well. As always, admission is free. Ample free parking is available.

SCCB's rehearsals are on Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. at Patriot Hall, 135 Haynsworth St., in the Pat Veltre band room (enter from Mood Avenue door). Musicians with band experience, who can read music, are invited to join the band by attending a Thursday rehearsal.

For more information about the band, call Mitchum at (803) 775-9265.