The nearly 40 members of the Orcas Island Community Band will strut their holiday spirit in their traditional holiday concert this coming Saturday at the Orcas Center.

“We want to encourage folks to see the band in a formal concert where our abilities really shine,” said Band Secretary Karen Key Speck. “We appreciate the community’s support when we perform at the Tree Lighting and Fourth of July but our goal has always been to introduce people to the quality of musicianship we present and the variety of music we can perform in these formal concerts. Each members’ goal is to have a person attend the formal concert who has never seen us in that venue.”

The band will be playing seasonal music for the concert, some Sousa marches and wrapping up their yearlong celebration of the centennial of Leroy Anderson, according to Band Director Joe Babcock.

“There is no doubt that Leroy Anderson is a great American composer,” Babcock said. He was the staff composer for the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler. He is most noted for his character compositions, including the “Typewriter,” “Waltzing Cat,” and “Bugler’s Holiday.”

The band will be playing Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and his only song written specifically for bands, “Ticonderoga March.” The OICB is one of several hundred bands internationally that have been celebrating Anderson’s centennial with concerts dedicated to his compositions over the past year.

The complimentary performance (donations accepted) on Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. includes a free dessert reception in the Madrona Room afterwards.

“It is going to be lots of fun and informative too. I guarantee it will be warmer at the Orcas Center than staying at home and way more fun,” Babcock said.

The Community Band practices for two hours every Sunday evening in preparation for their performances and because according to Babcock they enjoy playing music. The holiday performance is one of three annual performances by the band each year.

The Orcas Island Community, founded in 1990, is an all-volunteer band comprised of approximately 40 Orcas Islanders dedicated to making a musical and cultural contribution to the community. The members come from a broad variety of backgrounds, including healthcare workers, firefighters, schoolteachers, engineers, politicians, doctors, housewives, students, and senior citizens.

“We are a friendly, social band dedicated to having fun and making music,” Speck says.