Swing City, Delmarva’s Big Band, will bring its arrangements of popular standards and danceable big band charts to Fountain Park this Saturday, July 30. Come prepared to tap your feet – and dance to a few numbers, if the mood hits you.
Led by trumpeter Elmer Dill, Swing City performs all over the eastern U.S., with occasional ventures as far afield as Canada. The band has been a hit with Music in the Park audiences, drawing a good crowd for its appearances in the open-air concert series.
The band’s repertoire includes both swing era classics from the likes of Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller and idiomatic big band arrangements of more modern material. The set list for Saturday features the entire six-man trumpet section on “Bugler’s Holiday.” Trumpeter Jimmy Cara gets a solo spot on “My Way,” and he joins forces with Dill for a duet on “Memories of You,” a hit for Ted Heath in 1939.
Ann Morris, a favorite from previous Swing City concerts, returns as the band’s featured vocalist.
Dill, the founder and director, led his first band while still in high school. He attended the University of Delaware, where he played with the university’s stage band, the Delmodians. After college, he joined the U.S. Navy and played in bands all over the world. Several other Swing City regulars share Dill’s military band background, and nearly a third are current or retired musical directors. Most of them live in the Delmarva area.
Saturday’s program begins at 7 p.m. and will end at about 8:30. Admission is free. Audience members should bring something to sit on. Only limited seating is available. In the event of rain, the concert will be rescheduled because the size of the band makes it awkward to move to an indoor venue.
Music in the Park programs are sponsored by the town of Chestertown with support from the Kent County Arts Council and many community contributors. To help make these free programs possible, audience members may send donations payable to the town of Chestertown and designated for “Music in the Park,” to 118 N. Cross St., Chestertown, MD 21620. Donations may also be made at the concert.
Excerpted with permission from the Kent County News
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