GARDINER -- The floating barge and stage for the American Wind Symphony Orchestra scheduled to arrived in the region Saturday is broken, forcing the cancellation of a much-anticipated series of concerts.

The ensemble performances were to take place daily in Gardiner, Augusta and other river towns through July 10. The symphony's principal concert at the Gardiner waterfront was scheduled for July 11.

Linda Edgerton, director of Gardiner Main Street, said it was a regional effort that sought to bring the symphony to the area.

But she said the symphony's conductor and captain of the barge, Robert Boudreau, called last week and said the barge was stuck in Connecticut with serious engine problems.

"We were honestly so devastated that nobody could even talk about it for a couple of days," Edgerton said. "A lot of work has gone into this. He said there were experts flying in, someone from Louisiana, to see if it could be repaired in time to come up here. But there was no guarantee what was wrong or how long it would take to fix it."

She said organizers were given an option of the symphony coming and holding concerts on land without the barge.

But Edgerton said finding venues for an unknown amount of people to attend would be too difficult, she said.

She said the group had an anonymous donor to help pay for most of the event.

"We decided it was the barge itself that people were excited about," she said. "We were going to hold a patron concert on the barge before the concerts and sell the tickets for $100 to help finish raising the $5,000 we needed. They could have toured the art gallery on the barge and meet the musicians. Without the barge, how would we raise the $5,000? So we decided to let it go and not pursue it this year."

City Manager Jeff Kobrock said he was disappointed but that the effort showed great community spirit in putting it together.

Edgerton said all the symphony's concerts in Maine have been canceled, including those in Biddeford and Saco, South Portland and Portland.

She said organizers were grateful to all the people who offered up their homes to house the musicians.

She said those who helped fund the project will get their money back and that the cities will not be charged anything by the symphony. Also, the deposit will be refunded.

"We pulled together to bring it here," she said. "It's not coming, but the positive thing is that we all did work together very well and understood what regional partnerships are. It's going to be the way we move things forward in the future."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com