Bandshell concert series kicks off July 8 with Reading Pops Orchestra
June 12—Berks Arts has announced the lineup for the 2022 Bandshell Concert Series at City Park, which will run four consecutive Fridays at 7 p.m., beginning July 8. Here is the program :
July 8: The Reading Pops Orchestra, conducted by guest conductor Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Groups at Kutztown University, will perform, featuring star singer Maria Damore, whose performances in musical theater and opera have delighted audiences in the region. She has also performed as a jazz/pop singer with various bands, including her own, and is a respected private vocal teacher.
July 15: Popular blues guitarist/songwriter Albert Cummings returns, having recently released his 10th album, “TEN,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard blues chart and features the country star Vince Gill as guest. The Williamstown, Mass., native released his debut album, “From the Heart,” in 2003; his breakthrough 2006 album “Working Man” (Blind Pig Records) launched a career that included touring with BB King and Buddy Guy. He also managed the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band, Double Trouble, for a time after Vaughan’s death. In addition to his music career, Cummings is a fourth-generation homebuilder and award-winning custom designer.
July 22: The Nashville-based Timmy Brown Band will perform an encore. Brown, a country music singer-songwriter from Massachusetts, is a four-time winner (2016-2019) of the New England Country Music Award for Local Male Artist of the Year and, in 2019, Country Act of the Year . Her latest album, “Good Life,” was released in 2021, and her new single, “Hey There Heartbreak,” was released in May.
July 29: David Cedeño and his orchestra will perform their mix of salsa, Latin jazz, merengue, ballads, waltzes and popular songs from the 50s with a salsa rhythm and English words (“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” , “Sealed With a Kiss”, for example). Trumpeter Cedeño and the 14-piece band have released 11 CDs, including the most recent “Back From Japan.”
“The Bandshell Concert Series has become a staple in the community over the past three decades,” said Berks Arts Executive Director Justin Heimbecker. “Providing fun, safe, family-friendly, FREE entertainment to everyone in our community creates opportunities for people from all walks of life to connect. It’s such a powerful and impactful offering for the community, and we’re deeply grateful to all the sponsors and partners who make this possible.”
Each show will be preceded by a presentation by a local musical organization starting at 6 p.m.
Bring garden chairs and blankets. Food vendors will be on site. Alcohol and smoking are not permitted in the municipal park and dogs must be kept on a leash.
Any weather-related schedule changes are posted on Facebook and announced on local radio stations.
For more information, visit www.berksarts.org.