The Bridgton Community Band, celebrating its 87th Birthday in 2025, is one of the few remaining community bands in the State. For six or seven weeks during the summer, volunteer musicians principally from the Bridgton area, but others from various parts of the country, present a lively, FREE concert to locals and visitors alike. The members, dressed in their new red Polo shirt uniforms, play a wide variety of music from rousing marches to classical pieces. The Band has had only seven directors; Dick Albert held office the longest for twenty-eight years and Natasha Proctor for eighteen years.
Many people from the local area faithfully attend each week, while visitors to our area are excited to experience this unique activity. Audiences can range from children to seniors and number up to 150 or more.
At the last concert of each season, we celebrate the Band's Birthday with cake for the band members and audience.
Our Conductor - Steven B. Sweetsir
After serving as the Band's Conductor for eighteen years, Natasha Proctor retired as the Bridgton Community Band's Conductor. During the 2017 season, three accomplished musicians with extensive experience in conducting took turns as the conductor's stand. At the end of the 2017 season, Steven Sweetsir (who had played French horn with us) was selected to conduct the band's 2018 season and beyond.
Steven B. Sweetsir is a graduate of The New England Conservatory of Music with a bachelor of music performance and a master of music from Ithaca College. Steve grew up in a musical family in Portland, Maine. His grandfather, Arthur H. Stevens, was a bandmaster and first horn in the Portland Symphony. His mother, Agnes (also a member of the Bridgton Community Band) was the second horn in the Portland Symphony for many years.
Steven and his wife Colleen were both members of the US Coast Guard Band in New London, CT and were both active players and conductors. Steven is the music director and chief conductor of the Delaware Valley Wind Symphony which is a professional level group based in Pennsylvania. He is also the founding director and conductor of the Fanfare Winds, a 45 piece advanced high school aged ensemble that is part of the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County (PA).
Steven also plays horn in several orchestras and is active in chamber music and as a soloist in the greater Philadelphia area. Steve and Colleen own a home in Bridgton and spend summers here. Playing with the Bridgton Community Band is a source of great enjoyment every summer. Last year they were joined by the rest of their horn playing family in a concert by his sister Lynn, daughter Erin along with his mother - making a total of 5 family horn players!
Our Band
When I first moved to Bridgton in 1968, I believe I recall seeing the Band playing outside near Reny’s. Of course, when it rained, the concert would have to be cancelled. That all changed when the band concerts moved to the Gazebo in 1976; the Band played rain or shine! Thus, the inauguration of the drive-up concerts; when it would rain, people would stay in their cars, roll down the windows, and honk their horns in applause! In fact, some were so comfortable with this that they would remain in their cars even when the weather was fair.
Our audiences consist of town folks and summer visitors and interestingly, so do the Band members; local band members are from Southwestern Maine and Southeastern N.H., but we have musicians from Florida, N.Y., California, and Massachusetts to name a few states. In the past, some of the campers from the music Camp Encore/Coda have also sat in on concerts. All the musicians are very dedicated and perform principally because of their love of music and the comradeship with other players.
The Town of Bridgton does “sponsor” the Band, providing funds for costs such as uniforms, music, lighting, and maintenance of the Gazebo Bandstand. They have always been very cooperative in that regard. The Gazebo, by the way, is in need of replacing and enlarging . It is 35 years old and there have been as many as 42 musicians on that relatively small platform! We are actively pursuing suggestions for where a new Gazebo might be located.
“We are a true community band”, says former band conductor Dick Albert, who now plays either clarinet or drums, depending on where he might be needed on a particular evening. The Band welcomes all players to rehearsals; we have younger players who are still learning their instruments, and we have adults of all ages join us who might not have played for years! The Bridgton Community Band thanks all of our loyal fans (and newcomers too) for attending our concerts and sharing the love and enjoyment of music that we play!
Band Officers
President - Dick Albert
Secretary - Randa Viitala
Treasurer -Lars Viitala
Manager - Mark Stanford
Librarian - Doug Wall
Publicity - Carolyn Stanhope