On Monday, September 20, musicians from the Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band, along with the Chaffey Adult School, invite guests to come enjoy their free musical concert dubbed “Welcome Back: It’s Been a Long, Long Time.”

The event will be the first, in-person concert from the OCCSB since the pandemic canceled their performances in February 2020. A news release about the returning event read “the entire show band family is excited to provide music for you once again after such a long, unprecedented, and unsettling time.”

The program is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will include numerous songs about the month of September as well as patriotic tunes and marches from the OCCSB. According to a news release, “featured soloists are concertmaster and vocalist Chris McAleer, clarinetist and vocalist Sandra McDonald, assistant director and tenor saxophone soloist Patrick Arnold, [and] drummer Steve Sturgis.” All will be “highlighted by the outstanding musicians of the Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band under the direction of Dr. Gabe Petrocelli.”

The concert will be held in the north quad of Chaffey High School, behind the Gardiner W. Spring Auditorium. The venue will offer plenty of space for attendees to sit, including the lunch tables near the end of the quad. Event organizers recommend that attendees bring a portable and comfortable lawn chair.

Restrooms will be located in the music building and parking will be available in both the Fourth Street and Fifth Street lots.

All monthly concerts offered by the OCCSB at Chaffey High School are free and open to the public. Donations raised at the event will go toward the OCCSB and Chaffey Adult School. DVDs of previous OCCSB performances will be available for purchase and monetary donations can be placed inside the OCCSB’s Hungry Tuba.

This concert will be broadcast on local Ontario cable, Channel 3. Check your local listings for the date and time.

For more information about the concert, visit www.showband.net or contact Dr. Petrocelli at gabe@showband.net. Chaffey High School is located at 1250 North Euclid Avenue in Ontario.