Memorial Day Weekend Launches Season of Symphony & Municipal Band Concerts

Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to summer, will include some musical interludes, courtesy of Edwardsville Symphony and Edwardsville Municipal Band, and serve as a kickoff to months of free symphony and band concerts in City Park in partnership with Edwardsville’s Parks & Recreation Department.

Edwardsville Symphony’s series of free monthly concerts begins Sunday, May 25, on the Cleaon Etzkorn Bandstand in City Park (101 South Buchanan Street in Edwardsville). The symphony will perform its 'Concert of Sight,' part of a musical exploration focused on the senses, at 7PM. Select members of the Edwardsville High School Orchestra will join the symphony, while the pre-concert at 6:30PM will feature the Highland Youth Orchestra.

On Monday, May 26, the Edwardsville Municipal Band will begin its season, taking part in the annual Woodlawn Cemetery Memorial Day of Service beginning at 10AM at the cemetery (1400 St. Louis Street in Edwardsville). That event will include performances by the band and a soloist, plus a reading of the names of Madison County veterans who have died in the last year, a guest speaker and more. The annual ceremony is organized by the Woodlawn Cemetery Association; Woodlawn is one of the city’s oldest cemeteries, dating back to the 1870s.

The municipal band’s regular season of weekly performances in City Park will get underway Thursday, June 5, featuring a variety of musical selections. All of the Thursday night concerts will now start at 7:30PM – 30 minutes earlier than in past seasons, said Steve Wehling, the municipal band board chairman and a musician with the group. “Starting a little earlier and getting done a little earlier is better for everyone,” he said. “We’re hoping this will give everyone more opportunity to see the band perform.”

The municipal band will once again feature two conductors – John Korak and Ruben Gomez Prada, both longtime music department faculty members at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Wehling said this season’s performances include a few fun and nostalgic twists. In August, the band will end its summer season by sharing the stage with a Beatles tribute band, Abbey Road Warriors, featuring a longtime band board member, Steve Hoover. Other performances include the Independence Day appearance at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199 July 5; another concert will honor a veteran band performer and composer, Anton Poneta; the traditional Leclaire Park performance will take place the afternoon of Sunday, August 10. The band’s year will wrap up in December with a return to the Wildey Theatre for a free community holiday concert.

Edwardsville Symphony’s season continues through September with free monthly concerts in City Park on select Sunday evenings. The concerts typically include guest performers from throughout the community. The symphony rehearses every Tuesday night from 7-9:30PM in City Park, encouraging attendance, particularly by those seeking a sensory-friendly performance without amplification or large crowds.

Details on performances and cancellation notices (in the event of inclement weather) can be found on the groups’ respective Facebook pages: Edwardsville Municipal Band & Edwardsville Symphony.

“I would invite people who have lived in our community or recently arrived, if you’ve never been before come out for a free evening of entertainment with these musicians who are your friends and neighbors,” said Wehling, the Municipal Band chairman.