The swing group will take to the stage at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #38 Hall in Liverpool, following Mersey Band’s third annual fund-raising dinner. The focus will be on the hits of Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael and other leading composers of the 1930s and 1940s. In that vein, well-known area performer Dick Henneberry will add his vocal styling to several tunes including the Irving Berlin standard Blue Skies.
The repertoire will also move into more contemporary times, including the number “sway”, a favorite of mega-star Canadian crooner Michael Buble. For rock fans, the program will include the Beatles’ hit I Want To Hold Your Hand and the hard driving “25 or 6 to 4”, made a hit by the group Chicago.
The event gets under way at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner bell ringing at 6 p.m. Roast pork served with roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables and coleslaw will be on the menu. Preparing the meal, behind the scenes and waiting on the tables will be members of the band. They will be working to raise funds for Mersey Band Society activities-especially its band camps and training program, which provides musical instruction in an area where, at present, the school system offers no instrumental music program.
Band Leader MacDonald says he’s "really happy about how the swing band is going. I’m looking forward to seeing how far the guys can take this." The Mersey Swing band could become a regular offshoot of the Mersey Band.
Tickets for the dinner and concert are $12 or $6 for children under 12. The tickets are available at the Woodpile in Liverpool, from Anne Dunlop at 354-3335 or any member of the Mersey Band.
