RICHMOND, INDIANA — It seems totally unreal that summer is almost gone and fall will soon arrive with its array of activities.

Included in those activities is the beginning of rehearsals for the Richmond Community Orchestra (RCO). Orchestral-minded musicians of all ages, especially string players, are invited to come enjoy playing with other like-minded musicians.

Rehearsals for fall concerts begin Monday evening, Sept. 12, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Goddard Auditorium of Carpenter Hall on the Earlham Campus in Richmond. Once again, the RCO will be directed by Jay Conard of Eaton.

Conard and the RCO Board has laid out an aggressive concert schedule for this fall. The first concert is on Sept. 25, only two weeks after rehearsals begin, when they will play a one-hour afternoon concert in Veterans Memorial Park in The Gorge in Richmond in honor of the Indiana Bicentennial Torch coming through town.

A mere five weeks later, on Oct. 23, the band will present their next concert. Conard will be directing the group in some fun but challenging music including Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev, and What’s Opera Doc? wherein Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd sing their way through a Wagnerian opera.

Then, on Nov. 28, the RCO will regale thier audience with thier ever-popular holiday concert, which will then be partially repeated the following evening, Monday, Nov. 29, at Friends Fellowship Community in Richmond.

Any brass or woodwind or particularly a string player looking for the opportunity to enjoy playing in a concert orchestra with other likeminded musicians, then plan to come join the RCO. While it takes effort, it is a lot of fun “concertizing” together, as Victor Borge might say. The mission of the Richmond Community Orchestra is “to encourage lifelong musicianship and appreciation of orchestral music in Richmond,, and the surrounding area through regular practice and performance.” To learn more about the Orchestra including its practice schedule visit the website at http://rcoindiana.org. “That’s all folks!”