FITCHBURG — The Fitchburg Military Band is gearing up for their annual summer concerts with the first one taking place on July 5 at Coggshall Park.
Former longtime band conductor and Ashby resident Bill Williams handed over the baton two summers ago to fellow seasoned conductor David Bailey but he still plays in the band and helps manage it. He said the 158-year-old institution is “alive and well” and that Sunday’s 2 p.m. concert will be “a continued celebration of the birth of the nation.”
The second concert in the series is on the following Sunday, July 12, at the same location and time and the other two will be played on Aug. 16 and 30 at Messiah Lutheran Church, 175 Rindge Rd., also beginning at 2 p.m.
“Pastor David Jacoby and the congregation have graciously given us the sanctuary in order for us to give the citizens of Fitchburg and surrounding areas our final two, absolutely free concerts to conclude the summer concerts,” Williams shared.
He said ahead of last year’s summer concerts that none of this would be possible without the “generous” sponsors who faithfully support the band, including the Fitchburg Cultural Council, Aubuchon Hardware, the Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) administered by local union 173 of the American Federation of Musicians, and “personal donations from our faithful audiences with special recognition to Mr. Raymond and Patricia Clifford from Holden.”
“Fortunately, the Fitchburg Military Band has been supported in part by the Fitchburg Cultural Council, which is the local arm of the Mass Cultural Council that doles out funds to a variety of projects throughout the state to promote a diverse range of cultural activities,” Williams said.
In addition, for the past several years, “an important piece of the band’s financial support” has come from Aubuchon Hardware, which Williams noted was founded in Fitchburg in 1908 and is the oldest family-owned hardware store in the country.
“Their support ranges from such important things as allowing us to purchase new music to donating the band’s banner that we fly for each concert,” he said of Aubuchon, adding that “a third part of the funding puzzle” involves the MPTF, a New York organization similar to a cultural council in that it supports musicians and groups throughout the country.
“The Fitchburg Military Band survives as a result of the generosity of others,” Williams said. “Though we perform our concerts to the community for free, they are not without expense and the lion’s share of these expenses go to pay the musicians.”
He went on to say donations are “greatly appreciated” and checks can be made out to the Fitchburg Military Band and mailed to him — William Williams, 863 West Rd., Ashby, MA, 01431. Donations that are tax deductible and for more information follow Fitchburg Military Band on Facebook.