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By Daniel Curtin
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The community was out on the Walpole Town Common last Tuesday night to listen to classic hits performed by the Roy Scott Big Band. Parents and music lovers sat on lawn chairs and blankets, eating popcorn and other snacks on the cool summer night. Young children ran around on the grass as the music reverberated through the evening air.
The Roy Scott Big Band is a 17 piece big band that plays a wide range of music including jazz, rock, pop, and the blues. The band, which has been playing for 30 years, ran through a setlist that included classics such as Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” during the performance.
“Half of Walpole is on vacation,” said Fred Organ, who was in attendance. “This is the other half, and we’re on vacation tonight. Look at all the little kids running around. It’s fun to see.”
The Roy Scott Band is a subset of the two Sharon Concert Bands. Stephen Bell, who has been with the band for 12 years as its leader, admits that the band is a labor of love.
The band cooks as the sun sets. Photos by Daniel Curtin
“This is a select group. Most of them are not professional musicians - they all have other walks of life - but this is something we all love to do. We get together on Thursday evenings during the school year for an hour and a half,” said Bell. “This is what we do.”
Norwood residents Sean and Charlene Geary were in attendance and are supporters of the band. “It’s relaxing. It’s beautiful weather, [a] beautiful location, and it's a nice thing to do,” said Sean Geary.
“Especially after a long day of work, it is something to look forward to,” added Charlene.
