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The SLO County Band and the Gold Coast Chorus to team up at the AG Village Summer Concert Series

August 29th Show will feature an afternoon of Patriotic, Popular and Traditional songs

The San Luis Obispo County Band and the Gold Coast Chorus will enliven the Rotary Bandstand Stage during the Arroyo Grande Village Summer Concert Series show on Sunday, August 29th. Join your friends at 1:00 pm in the historic Arroyo Grande Village and enjoy this fanciful show filled with patriotic, popular and traditional musical pieces. This free Series is presented by the Arroyo Grande Village Improvement Association and the City of Arroyo Grande Recreation & Maintenance Services Department. Rabobank joins these organizations as the Featured Series Sponsor. This summer's series is setting the stage for Arroyo Grande's 2011 Centennial Celebration.

Opening the show will be the Gold Coast Barbershop Chorus which is comprised of about sixty male singers and is part of the Barbershop Harmony Society. The group gathers weekly to sing old-time favorites as a chorus or in quartets. The Gold Coast Chorus, which was started in 1963, performs at numerous events around the County yearly. Its performances include yearly sold out shows at the Clark Center, patriotic gatherings, the SLO Farmer's Market, the SLO Christmas Parade, and at the Far West District Barbershop Harmony Society competitions. Its quartets are famous for their Singing Valentine Program. The Chorus' mission is "to preserve our musical legacy through support of vocal music education in our schools and communities." Their motto is "Keep the Whole World Singing!"

The San Luis Obispo County Band will close the show. The Band, under the direction of Leonard Lutz, performs over twenty concerts a year throughout the area. It has a vast repertoire of music which includes traditional concert band music, marches and patriotic selections as well as movie and show medleys. The County Band is celebrating its 136th birthday in 2010. It traces its origins back to the "SLO Military Band", founded in 1874, perhaps a local outgrowth of the popularity of brass bands created during the Civil War. During its 136 years, the Band was affiliated with the Elks Club early in the 1920's, with the American Legion in the 1930's and in the 1940's and 50's donned military khaki as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Band. With the advent of Cuesta College in the 1960's, the Band was offered as a Cuesta College class for several years and is now a part of the educational offerings of the SLO Adult School. Today, men and women of all ages are part of the Band, including several husband-and-wife teams. The SLO County Band will also be the Featured Nonprofit organization for this show.

This show's concert sponsors are the Wyndham Residence assisted living community in Arroyo Grande and the new Ventana Grill restaurant in Pismo Beach. Both businesses are owned and operated by Compass Health, the largest provider of assisted living services in San Luis Obispo County. The Ventana Grill blends the foods of Coastal California with the regional cuisines of Mexico and the Pacific Coastal countries to its south. Its exquisitely remodeled facility also features a banquet venue with breathtaking ocean views that make every special event unique and memorable. Ventana Grill will be your new favorite place to eat, drink, and gather at the beach!

Major media sponsors for the series are KSBY-TV, KVEC - 920 AM, Charter Media, the New Times and the Santa Maria SUN.

These free summer concerts are held at the Rotary Bandstand in Heritage Square Park from June through September. The South County Historical Society's famous all beef hot dogs, Doc Burnstein's ice cream, popcorn, drinks and more are available at the shows. Special raffles and displays further enliven the concerts. Music fans can also explore Heritage Square Museums, antique shops and restaurants in the historic Arroyo Grande Village. Attendees are asked to bring lawn chairs, blankets and their friends and neighbors to enjoy the afternoons of exciting and varied music! Refer to http://www.ArroyoGrandeVillage.org or call 805-473-2250 or 805-474-6646 for more information on the Village Summer Concert Series schedule and the many other activities in the Village.

SLO County Band Welcomes High School and Junior High Musicians For Summer Programs

The San Luis Obispo County Band welcomes area High School and Junior High School musicians to play with the Band during the summer months. Performers on all of the band wind, brass and percussion instruments are invited. Rehearsals during the summer are at the SLO Adult School, Room J-4, Thursday evenings, 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

The Band is playing a number of programs around the County during the summer. Performing with the Band will give young musicians experience in ensemble playing and sight reading, and help them keep sharp over the summertime. Brass and woodwind players should bring their instruments and a music stand; the standard percussion instruments are on hand for percussionists.

For information on the Band call 543-5691.

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