There weren’t too many memorable Allentown Band concerts this summer in the Lehigh Valley.

In fact, there were none at the usual venues, including West Park, Allentown, which were canceled because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Actually, there was one Band concert at a first-time location.

The Allentown Band performed “Sousa on the Parkway” on the lawn of the Lehigh Parkway, Salisbury Township, residence of Joan Miller Moran.

The Allentown Band returns to the Parkway residence for “Americans We - 2020 Tribute to Veterans,” 3 p.m. Oct. 4.

The concert, in lieu of the Band’s annual veterans’ concert at Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown, is open to members of Lehigh Valley Veterans History Project.

The audience is limited to 75 with face masks and social distancing mandatory. If space allows, the 50-minute patriotic music tribute to the “Greatest Generation” will be open to the public.

Mike Sewards, Chairman-Founder-Historian of the veterans organization, expects six to eight World War II veterans to attend.

The all-Sousa concert Sept. 13 was limited to 30 attendees, wearing face masks and socially-distancing their lawn chairs.

“Good to see you. We missed you so much,” Allentown Band Conductor Ronald H. Demkee said before the concert began.

“We were going to have name tags for the band because we haven’t seen each other since March,” Demkee quipped.

The Band performed without rehearsing.

“Ezra says we sound better when we don’t practice,” Demkee joked, referring to trombone player Ezra Wenner, 93, an Allentown Band member for 78 years.

After the concert, Clark J. Hamman, tuba player, told a reporter for Lehigh Valley Press that seven musicians have performed in the Band for more than 50 years.

The Band is the oldest civilian concert band in the United States, having first performed July 4, 1828.

The 40-minute concert by 47 members of the 55-member Band performed, among other John Philip Sousa selections, for which it is known, “El Capitan March,” “Fairest of the Fair,” “Gallant Seventh,” “Glory to the Yankee Navy,” “Hail to the Spirit of Liberty,” “Hands Across the Sea March,” “The Liberty Bell March” and “The Washington Post March,” each with witty and insightful introductions by Demkee.

“This is so much better than any screen you can look at,” Demkee said.

As is tradition, the Band concluded its concert with “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

The piccolo section, instead of lining up band-front for the finale, stood behind the band.

After the concert, Demkee told The Press, “I was very pleased.”

And concert attendee William J. Fenza called out, “Do it again.”

Indeed, they will.