The Knoxville Community Band will perform a free concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Tennessee Amphitheatre at World’s Fair Park.

The program will include a number of iconic American tunes, starting with a piece titled, “Tennessee Salute,” which features a number of songs well-loved and recognized by Tennesseans: “Your Cheatin’ Heart” by Hank Williams, “Wabash Cannonball,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “Tennessee Waltz” and – of course – “Rocky Top.”

“Armed Forces Salute” will showcase the theme songs of the various branches of the armed services: “The Caisson Song,” “Semper Paratus,” “The Marines’ Hymn,” “The U.S. Air Force” and “Anchors Aweigh.”
          
The piece “Eighties Flashback” will evoke the days of the 1980s, when “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Rocky III” were playing in theaters. The songs include “Up Where We Belong” from “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Eye of the Tiger” from “Rocky III.” 

The Knoxville Community Band is made up of instrumentalists in and around the community. Some players are band directors who like to take time out from their own bands to play and practice on their major instruments, and others are professionals in the community who learned to play in school and don’t want to lose their expertise. All are volunteers, and all play because they love music.

The band is sponsored by the Knoxville Parks and Recreation Department. The group plays year round at festivals and other special events and performs a series of outdoor concerts during the summer. New members with expertise on wind or percussion instruments are welcome. Practices are from 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at Northwest Middle School.

The band is directed by Larry Hicks, retired band director of Heritage High School in Blount County. Mark Boring, also retired from the Blount County school system, is the assistant band director. 

For the band’s full 2016 schedule, to see a performance video or to link to the band’s Facebook page, visit: http://bit.ly/2e41ZA6.