The Village Center Concert Series in Columbia wraps up this week. Closing out the season will be blues player Automatic Slim, Thu., Aug. 21, 6-8 p.m., at the Dorsey's Search Village Center. The Rockin' Reasons will play swing and big band music Aug. 21, 6-8 p.m., at the Hickory Ridge Village Center.

Mike Lapadula will play the blues Fri., Aug. 22, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at the Kings Contrivance Village Center. The Taters will perform electric roots music and Americana Aug. 22, 6-8 p.m., at the River Hill Village Center. Cletus Kennelly and Lori Kelley will sing contemporary folk and melodic pop Aug. 22, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at the Wilde Lake Village Center. Call 443-367-0110.

Nighthawks in the park

The legendary Washington, D.C. blues band the Nighthawks will perform Fri., Aug. 22, 7 p.m., in Rockburn Branch Park (Montgomery Road, in Elkridge). A mainstay of the local blues scene, the band released a live album in the late 1970s. Admission is free. Call 313-7285.

auditions

Sing with the Pros

Columbia Pro Cantare is auditioning singers for all parts as its 32nd season opens. Planned works to be performed with soloists and orchestra include Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana," Handel's "Messiah," Brahm's "Ein deutsches Requiem" and a tribute to Paul Robeson.

Regular rehearsals begin Sept. 2 and are held every Tuesday at Hammond High School, in Columbia, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Call 410-730-8549 or 410-799-9321 or go to www.procantare.org for information.

Get out your instrument

Time to pull out the old sheet music and limber up your chops -- the local Columbia Orchestra has a few empty chairs for its 2008-2009 season. Music director Jason Love is currently scheduling auditions for positions that include all string instruments, second clarinet, contra bassoon, trumpet, horn and other woodwinds, brass and percussion.

Candidates will be asked to play major and minor scales in two octaves, and should be prepared to play two contrasting pieces. Tryouts are at Christ Episcopal Church, 6800 Oakland Mills Road in Columbia. Call 410-465-8777, Ext. 4, or go to www.columbiaorchestra.org.

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