This year’s End of Summer concert by the Northport Community Band brings the community together for music and to honor a local icon.
Beloved pianist, organist and lifelong music educator Bobbie Lange will be the featured soloist during Sunday’s performance, marking her final public appearance in Northport before she and her husband, Pastor Jerry Lange, relocate later this year.
Lange has been a cornerstone of Leelanau County’s musical life for decades. She has taught piano to generations of students, served as the longtime organist at Covenant Church in Northport and contributed her talents to countless community musicals, choirs and performances across northern Michigan.
Sunday’s concert offers a special opportunity for community members to celebrate Lange’s remarkable contributions and witness her final Northport performance. She will take center stage for several featured piano pieces, including George Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue."
Listen to the full interview with Bobbie Lange and IPR's Nancy Deneen by clicking "Listen" below.
The Northport Community Band’s End of Summer Concert takes place Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, at 3 p.m. at the Northport Performing Arts Center.
Bobbi Lange will perform "Célèbre Tarantelle" by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, "Walden" by Chris Sharp and "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin. Also on the program are several other light, crowd-pleasing pieces performed by the Northport Community Band with conductor Dante Billeci.
Music in this interview:
- J. S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 552
- Petr Eben: Sunday Music: III. "Moto ostinato"
- Claude Debussy: Suite bergamasque, "Clair de lune"
