Recent rehearsals took place inside, but the Butler County Symphony Orchestra's free concerts on May 29 will be outdoors at Alameda Park and Zelienople Community Park.

The Butler County Symphony Orchestra will host two free concerts in honor of Memorial Day.

The concerts are both planned for May 29, one at 11 a.m. at Butler's Alameda Park and one at 2 p.m. at the Zelienople Community Park.

These concerts will feature a chamber ensemble of 14 Butler symphony musicians performing a variety of Americana, patriotic and classical music.

“A chamber ensemble refers to music for a small group of instruments — in this case it is a 14 member string orchestra (violins, violas, cellos, bass),” said the symphony's executive director, David Cosgrove.

The full orchestra usually has 70 to 100 musicians, depending on the music to be performed, he said.

Works played on May 29 will include such favorites as “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa, “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin, and “Nimrod” from the “Enigma Variations” by Sir Edward Elgar.

The ensemble will perform a 40-minute program including a total of eight pieces.

The musicians will be under cover at both locations, Cosgrove said, and members of the surrounding communities are encouraged to take chairs, blankets and picnics and to socially distance in the parks.

At Alameda Park in Butler, the concert will be in the Carousel Shelter.

At Zelienople Community Park, the concert will be in the amphitheater.

If inclement weather makes the concerts impossible, they will be rescheduled, Cosgrove said.

The coming 2021-22 concert schedule is in the works.