ANGOLA — The 37th Annual Year of Concerts at the Gazebo in Angola’s Centennial Park is halfway through the schedule.

Recent groups at the park included the Boston Town Band under the direction Ms. Kyle on July 10. The 70-member group includes members from late-middle school age through many senior citizens. The program opened with Newcomb-Long Post 928 posting the colors and remaining at attention while the band opened the evening with a rousing John Phillips Sousa march entitled “King Cotton.” The colors remained posted while the band and the audience presented and sang the “Star Spangled Banner.” The color guard then exited the park to a cadence beat provided by the band. The evening was sponsored by the American Legion Post.

The band presented a wide variety of music from Broadway show tunes, movie theme music, several marches and patriotic pieces. The concert also included a vocalist, a saxophone soloist and gentlemen demonstrating an original style sousaphone that had the large bill facing straight up the instrument. The evening began wrapping up when the band played a tribute to all branches of the military and asked veterans from the various branches to stand when “their piece was being played.” The final music for the evening was an outstanding piece — “The Stars and Stripes Forever” –which brought the audience to their feet.

On Wednesday, July 17 the fabulous Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra from the Lancaster Central School District presented an evening sponsored by the Angola location of Tops Friendly Markets. Due to the weather report, which predicted heavy rain and thunder storms, even though they did materialize, caused the concert to be moved to the New Angola Theater. The theater setting worked very well with the student musicians filling the stage and the orchestra pit to capacity. The entire first floor of the theater was packed with overflow attendees causing the balcony to be opened. The over 30-member band consists of middle and high school students who are not only involved with the steel band, but are also members of the various music offerings at Lancaster. The group is conducted by Ken Kowalski. He explained the origin of the steel drums in the 1920s and 30s and that they were made from steel drums ranging from something like a 5-gallon can through a 50-gallon drum. The audience was so enthusiastic about the program and asked that the park committee think about asking the group back in 2020 — the Carnival Kids are already scheduled to be in Angola on Wednesday, July 29, 2020!

Buffalo’s Premiere Italian Band, The Formula Band was scheduled to be at the park with the evening being sponsored by Chiavetta’s Catering and Chicken BBQ on Wednesday, July 24.

Attendees will see the Kokomo Time Band, a Beach and Island music group from Chautauqua County at the park on July 31. They are sponsored by Evans Bank and the Evans Agency.

The Evans Township Lions Club is providing refreshments for sale at the park each week. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and plan to enjoy the remaining concerts that run each Wednesday through Aug. 28. View the recently painted Gazebo, the hanging flower baskets, and the well groomed park setting that is maintained in cooperation with the Village of Angola Department of Public Works.