RICHMOND, INDIANA — Richmond Community Orchestra is performing a variety of music to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its first concert.

The concert begins at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at Civic Hall Performing Arts Center inside Richmond High School, 380 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond.

Admission is free for the concert. Donations will be accepted for orchestra expenses such as facility rentals and music purchases.

Planned musical selections include:

▪ “Mission: Impossible Theme”

▪ “Brandenburg Sinfonia” (Bach)

▪ “Gold and Silver Waltz” (Lehar)

▪ “Academic Festival Overture” (Brahms)

▪ “Dance of the Tumblers” (Rimsky-Korsakov)

▪ Gilbert and Sullivan medley

▪ “Zampa Overture” (Herold)

▪ Two pieces written by RCO’s music director and conductor, Jay Conard, featuring special guests – the young violinists from the orchestra’s Strings Initiative Program.

In addition to several performances for the community each year, RCO provides free group violin lessons and instruments to nearly 60 local children in collaboration with partner organizations Amigos, Girls Inc., Townsend Community Center, Hagerstown’s Arts Place and Richmond Friends School. Funding for the Strings Initiative Program comes from donations and grants sought by the orchestra.

RCO’s approximately 50 musicians range from high schoolers to retirees in Wayne, Preble, Darke and Union counties. Some have taught music and others have worked in careers including medicine, law, ministry, engineering and information technology. Conard, a Preble County, Ohio, resident, leads the all-volunteer orchestra.

The idea for the orchestra developed in Fall 2008 when musicians playing for a Richmond Civic Theatre production wondered if they could get together more often to rehearse and perform a variety of music.

Since then, rehearsals have continued taking place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. most Mondays at Earlham College’s Goddard Auditorium in Carpenter Hall, and more members are welcome.

The orchestra’s next concert will be the evening of June 10 at downtown Richmond’s Elstro Plaza, 47 N. Sixth St. Food trucks have been invited to set up at the park before the concert.

For more information, visit the orchestra’s page on Facebook or rcoindiana.org