The Villages Swing Band will be performing a Ukraine Relief Benefit Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31 at the Savannah Center. A $15 donation is requested (and more welcome), with Resident ID required (guest passes also accepted). Tickets are available from band members or at the door.
The all-volunteer band is directed by Lew Buckley from the Village of Sanibel, and made up of residents of The Villages.
As director of the U.S .Coast Guard Band for more than 29 years, Buckley was the longest tenured conductor of a senior service band in American history. He subsequently conducted the Boston-area MetWinds, and he is Conductor Laureate of both organizations. An internationally known conductor, composer/arranger, and trumpet soloist, he is a relatively new resident of The Villages, where he is enjoying the ample opportunities to continue making music with a large circle of like-minded friends.
The Villages Swing Band was founded in 2004 and offers its members the opportunity to play a variety of music focusing on the Swing era. The group rehearses weekly and presents concerts and dances under the umbrella of the Bands of The Villages. This concert welcomes the band’s new vocalist, Judi Edwards.