Classical music ensemble General Dischord will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 at the Birkenfeld Theater in Clatskanie.

CANNON BEACH, CLATSKANIE and LONG BEACH, Wash. — The 234th Army Band of the Oregon National Guard is embarking on its annual Summer Concert Series, featuring programs in the local area performed by several ensembles. All of the band’s performances are free, and open to the public.

The 234th Army Band is comprised of four major ensembles: Rox Teddy, a popular music group featuring multiple vocalists; Brass Ops, a brass group including electric bass, percussion, saxophones and piccolo; General Dischord, a woodwind ensemble including string bass and percussion; and Empire Builders, a traditional military concert band.

Pop-rock ensemble Rox Teddy will perform at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 at Veteran’s Field in Long Beach, Washington. This group plays family-friendly songs from the ’70s through today’s hits. Made up of 13 musicians, Rox Teddy brings a big sound through rock instrumentation and a horn section.

Brass Ops will perform at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 at City Park in Cannon Beach. This 12-member brass band features high-energy traditional and contemporary brass arrangements, marches and historical literature.

The 13-member classical music ensemble General Dischord will perform the concert “A Night at the Opera” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 at the Birkenfeld Theater in Clatskanie. This year’s program includes traditional marches, as well as music from “West Side Story,” “Star Wars,” Queen, David Bowie, selections from the operas “Susannah” and “The Marriage of Figaro,” and Dvorak’s Serenade for Wind Instruments.

The Empire Builders will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 at Clatskanie Middle/High School. Band leaders Chief Warrant Officer Ashley Alexander and Sgt. Chris Sigman will conduct a program that honors those who have served in conflict overseas through a series of letters written by soldiers paired with music. This year’s program features music by Marta Keen, Henry Cowell and Irving Berlin, a medley of Vietnam-era rock music, rousing marches, patriotic selections, and a tribute to the service members of Oregon and beyond.

Organized in 1919, the 234th Army Band of the Oregon National Guard served in the South Pacific during World War II. Based in Clackamas, the 234th Army Band — nicknamed “Oregon’s Own” — is comprised of over 40 soldiers from Oregon and southwest Washington, who meet several times monthly to rehearse and participate in military training. In their civilian lives, band members serve as professional musicians, educators, contractors, engineers, firefighters, business owners and students. Many members began their military careers in active duty, in both musical and nonmusical units, and several have served in Iraq.

While primarily a musical organization, the band has been called upon to serve in the capacity of disaster response and humanitarian relief. Most recently, members of the band were deployed to New Orleans to assist with relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

For more information, contact Sgt. 1st Class Matt Cook at matthew.m.cook.mil@mail.mil or 503-683-5423.