Bartow Adult Concert Band Returns with Fourth of July Concert This Sunday
by James Coulter
What could be more patriotic on a Fourth of July than listening to John Philip Sousa’s “Stars And Stripes Forever” performed by a live band? You can do just that at the upcoming Fourth of July Concert hosted by the Bartow Adult Concert Band.
On Sunday, the Bartow Adult Concert Band will strike up the band at the Bartow Civic Center for their annual Fourth of July Concert. This free event will include live performances of classic All-American patriotic songs.
This event will be the band’s first Fourth of July Concert they have performed in the past year. They were forced to cancel last year’s concert and other scheduled performances due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Now that the pandemic is winding down and more people are receiving vaccinations, the band is making their epic comeback with a most patriotic performance. The concert will unofficially start Bartow’s Independence Day celebrations, with the city’s official Independence Day celebration occurring at Mosaic Park beginning at 6 pm.
The Bartow Adult Concert Band was started in the 1990s by a retired band director from Bartow High School. The band has since been going strong for the past 24 years, with many musicians, both professional and amateur, coming from all across Polk County to share their love of music.
Their musical season usually starts in November, with concerts hosted throughout the year. All of the shows are hosted free to the public at the Civic Center at 2:30 pm. However, due to the pandemic, most of their scheduled performances were canceled last year.
“All of us have a love for music,” said Len Jordan, Chair of the Band Steering Committee. “The band members have been chomping at the bit to get back in the saddle as it were, so it has been really good for them to get together at the start, and we hope to get back to our regular concert schedule in the fall.”
For this event, the Civic Center will be complying with CDC guidelines, though the band has requested that the theater potentially accommodate their normal attendance. Overall, they expect to follow a standard protocol procedure.
“If you like live band concerts, then this will be one to come to,” he said. “And if you feel the need to come out of the house and celebrate the Fourth of July, this is the way to do it. It will be a feel-good patriotic-style concert.
The Fourth of July Concert will be hosted on Sun., July 4, at 2:30 pm at the Bartow Civic Center, located at 2250 S Floral Ave, Bartow, FL 33830. The concert is free to the public. For more information, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054591663719
