Latest from The Allentown Band

  While we wait for live concerts to resume -- SOON! WE PROMISE! CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE SCHEDULE -- The Allentown Band has another live stream concert series coming up! On Monday April 19 and again on Monday April 26, 2021, at 7:00 PM, Members of The Allentown Band will present  two free LIVE STREAM CONCERTS. The Live Concerts will include performances by a brass quintet comprised of Jeffrey Wohlbach, trumpet; DeVaughn Roberts, trumpet; Nancy Meckstroth, horn; Caitlin Heckman, trombone;  and Ronald Demkee, tuba;  performed in Allentown’s St. John’s Lutheran Church,  with no live audience in attendance. The program will include a wide variety of music including Holborne, Pezel, Gershwin,. Handy, Joplin, Sousa, and more. Eric Gombert, organist at St. John’s will also present several selections on the church’s magnificent Pipe Organ. This concert is presented as part of Arts at St. John’s Concert Series and the Music Performance Trust Fund administered ...

The Allentown Band has won numerous prizes and awards over the years, including Sudler Scroll from the Sousa Foundation, and most recently, The American Prize in several categories.  Even during a pandemic, Dr. Demkee has worked to keep the band in front of awards committees, and for 2020, the band once again received the American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award, this time being honored for Performance of American Music. More information about the band's honors are available here .

 Please enjoy this photo album from our clarinet orchestra St. Patrick's Day live stream concerts. Livestream Photo Album on Google Photos

 What a joy to be able to perform again! As I write this, the clarinet/saxophone orchestra has completed one of the planned St. Patrick's Day Live Stream Concerts, and I am much anticipating our encore performance tonight, Tuesday March 16 at 8 PM. The clarinet section has been rehearsing a delightful program selected by director Ron Demkee for this occasion, featuring a lot of Irish music along with other iconic selections like the Clarinet Polka.  Gathering for rehearsal March 8th at Allentown Christ Lutheran Church Many of the selections were arranged by our principal clarinetist, Steve Reisteter. Steve is featured as soloist on his on transcription of Sinfonia from Cantata #29 by J. S. Bach. Almost ready for Monday's live stream event. This correspondent really enjoyed being able to play clarinet and soprano saxophone with this group of exceptional musicians. Apparently my grandson enjoyed the concert, too. For the Encore Presentation Tonight:   facebook.com/ MusicPer...

  At the start of 2020, there was a full schedule of over 40 concerts for The Allentown Band. And as the year went along, almost all of those dates were cancelled. Well, as 2021 starts, we now have mitigation strategies and vaccines are rolling out. With hope that live concerts can resume sometime this year, The Allentown Band is starting to add confirmed dates to our calendar. The City of Allentown has committed to these dates: Sunday June 6th, 7:30 PM at West Park Friday July 2nd, 7:30 PM at West Park (Annual "Sousa" Concert) Sunday July 11th, 7: 30 PM at West Park Saturday July 24th, 7:00 PM at Midway Manor Sunday September 12th, 3:00 PM at West Park (Annual "Bert Meyers" Concert) The Lehigh County Historical Society again is hosting The Allentown Band at Haines Mill on Sunday August 8th at 6:30 PM And The Allentown Band once again is presenting the July 4th concert at Levitt Pavilion at Steel Stacks, 7:30 PM, before Bethlehem's fireworks. Details about progr...

The clarinet section of The Allentown Band returned to the Ezra Wenner Band Hall to start rehearsals for the March 15, 16 St. Patrick's Day Live Stream concerts. Director Ronald Demkee has assembled a fine program of music that is both Irish and clarinet. 

We are doing our best to stay connected to the community and also to provide performance opportunities for our members during these trying times. Since we could not present our Annual Youth Concerts at Miller Symphony Hall this school year, we created a video with brass and woodwind quintets and made them available to school districts in the region. This video has had more than 300 views so far.    We also presented a one-hour  Live Stream Concert  with three quartets - Woodwind, Saxophone and Trombone, with organist Michael Krentz at Christ Lutheran in Allentown. These Free Live Stream Concerts are funded by the Music Performance Trust Fund administered locally by the Allentown Musicians Association, AFM Local 45. As of this writing, we have four more scheduled. Watch this space or visit our website at www.allentownband.com for more information and announcements.