Cumberland County Community Band presents its final concert of the 2025-26 season beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 21, in Cumberland County High School Jets Auditorium at 660 Stanley St., Crossville.
This concert, the final one in the band’s 25th anniversary year, is “Oscar worthy” and not to be missed, said Joan Vrielink-Capito publicity manager.
“The band will be playing a variety of music, including pieces selected from its 25 years together here in Crossville,” she said.
“Additionally, the band will recognize former conductors and members of CCCB during this fun evening. As a special treat, former Conductor Rick Weyhrich will step to the podium to share his talent with the band and conduct ‘Soundtrack Highlights from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’”
The band will also recognize its members who are high schoolers and present the annual scholarship. The scholarship is presented annually to a senior band student.
Anniversary cake and cupcakes will be served after the concert.
A few of the concert highlights include:
From Suite of Old American Dances: Western One-Step, Wallflower Waltz and Cake Walk, composed by Robert Russell Bennett, arranged by James Curnow. The composer in a 1949 concert described this piece as having no particular purpose “except to do a modern, and, I hope, entertaining version of some of the dance moods of my early youth. Another equally important purpose was to do a number without any production tie-up such as World’s Fairs and municipal pageants …”
Hooray for Hollywood, arranged by Warren Barker. The band plays a bit of “glamour and glitz” from Hollywood’s golden years in this piece featuring selections from “Tara’s Theme,” “42nd Street,” “Born Free,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “The High and the Mighty,” Theme from “A Summer Place,” “Swanee,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” Theme from “Lawrence of Arabia,” “As Time Goes by,” and “Hooray for Hollywood.”
Rock, Roll and Remember: A Salute to Dick Clark, arranged by Ted Ricketts. Starting in the 1950s, Dick Clark has been associated with the some of the biggest names and hits in pop music.
Hosting “American Band Stand,” he featured some of the trend-setting artists throughout the decades.
His legacy lives on as the band plays this fun, fast-paced medley of some of the signature moments from the Dick Clark era: Bandstand Boogie (AB theme song), Rock Around the Clock, Bill Haley; The Twist, Chubby Checker; Don’t Worry Baby, Beach Boys; Rockin’ Robin, Michael Jackson; and YMCA, Village People. Also included is an optional tag on Auld Lang Syne remembering many years of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”
Tennessee Waltz, words by Redd Stewart, music by Pee Wee King. This piece is in recognition of the band’s rich musical history and talented musicians. Written in 1946, released in 1948 and recorded in 1950 by singer Patti Page, this song became a multi-million-dollar seller.
The band plays the version arranged by Cecil Thomas “Tom” Pomeroy, a U.S. Air Force military friend of the Cumberland County Community Band’s founder, Murray Kidwell.
“When starting up the band, it could not afford to purchase music much and Mr. Pomeroy was a musical arranger,” Vrielink-Capito said. “During the band’s first few years, Pomeroy sent over 50 selections to the band. Amazingly, these were all hand written!”
She added, “We celebrate Tom and Murray’s work in starting the Cumberland County Community Band and the great state of Tennessee with this selection.”
What’s Up at the Symphony? arranged by Jerry Brubaker. Vrielink-Capito said this selection is “just for fun.”
“You’d have to get up pretty early on a Saturday morning to hear one of these cartoon favorites,” she continued. “Bugs [Bunny] and Porky [Pig] invite you to enjoy this classic cartoon medley of some of the greats: This is It, William Tell, The Barber of Seville, The Merry Go Round Broke Down, Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance and Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries.”
The May 21 concert is sponsored by Tim and Sue Tewalt.
The band is under the direction of Conductor Bill Kerr and Assistant Conductor Ruth Ann Tuten. Its membership includes residents from Crossville and neighboring cities and towns, as well as a number of high school band students.
Cumberland County Community Band supports high school musicians in the community with the Patricia and Emery Nagy Scholarship, created in memory of two founding members. Students who participate in high school band and the Community Band are eligible to apply for scholarships from $500 to $2,000.
The band also supports the STARTS program, which provides additional funding goals for the fine arts programs of band, chorus, classroom, music, drama and visual arts in the Cumberland County school system.
“See you in the 2026-2027 season,” Vrielink-Capito said.
Contributions to Cumberland County Community Band, an IRS-designated 501c3 nonprofit organization, are encouraged and are tax deductible. Donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 1624, Crossville, TN 38558
Visit www.cccband.net for more information.