Greater Overbrook String Band Will Perform at Middletown Community Day Saturday, May 11, 2013

Greater Overbrook String Band Will Perform at Middletown Community Day

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Media, PA – April 23, 2013 – the Greater Overbrook String Band will be performing at the annual Middletown Township Community Day event to be held at Penn State’s Brandywine Campus on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Band members will also be participating in various family fun activities, including a Mummer’s Strutting contest and arts and crafts events for the kids.  They are actively recruiting new members and will also have a table/booth at the event where you can learn about the Band and have your questions answered.

The Greater Overbrook String Band performs annually on New Year’s Day in the Philadelphia Mummers Parade and in other parades and events year-round. Greater Overbrook is a charitable non-profit organization established to preserve, promote and educate the public about the unique Mummer String Band traditions, costumes and music.  The Band originated in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia, but is now located in Delaware County. They are “Delaware County’s Own String Band” and proudly perform in public and private events throughout the County. They are focused on public service, with many members having served as firemen, police officers and in the armed forces.  They march in a variety of area parades, including St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and other holidays. They have also performed for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as WWII Veterans in the Honor Flight program.

The Greater Overbrook String Band is an all-volunteer organization. Entire families participate together.  The Band includes student musicians from area schools, including Penncrest High School, Springton Lake Middle School, Upper Darby High School, Drexel Hill Middle School and Radnor High School. Greater Overbrook is actively recruiting new members of all ages – musicians, dancers, prop builders and parade marshals.  Musicians can be experienced or novice.  They practice on Tuesday nights from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Highland Park Fire Station, 24 Park Avenue, Upper Darby, PA (just off of Rt. 3 near St. Laurence Church). The Band uses woodwinds – alto, tenor, bari and bass saxophones and clarinets (sorry, no brass) as well as strings (banjos, guitars, mandolins, violins and upright bass), percussion (snare drums, cymbals, bells, etc.) and accordions. So, get your instrument out of the closet, or put your dancing shoes on, and you can become a Mummer and help carry on a great Philly tradition with Greater Overbrook!

To contact the Band, you can send an email to greateroverbrookstringband@gmail.com, or call their President, Carmen Vitanza, at 610-853-4505. For more information, including pictures and videos of performances, please visit their website at www.overbrookstringband.com.