October 10, 2014 - The Knoxville Community Band will perform a free concert on Sunday, Oct. 12, featuring a wide variety of music ranging from "St. Louis Blues" and "The Soft Shoe Rag" to "Glenn Miller in Concert" and "The Genius of Ray Charles." There will also be a bit of an international flair, featuring "Italian Polka," written by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, and "The Peanut Vendor," written by Cuban composer Moises Simons.

The concert will be at 3 p.m. on Market Square. The public is invited to bring a lawn chair and enjoy the outdoor concert.

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

The Knoxville Community Band is comprised of instrumentalists in the community who like to play, and most have been playing since grammar school. Some players are band directors who like to take time out from their own bands to keep in 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 are welcome. Practices are 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at Northwest Middle School.