Contributed by Jack Kopstein

The Repasz Band: An American Treasure

The Repasz Band was founded in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1831 and is the oldest non-military band in continuous existence in the United States. What could be more American than Mom, apple pie, and a band playing in the park on a sunny summer day?

The Repasz Band of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has been playing out that scene with a proud heritage stretching back over a century and a half. First organized in August 1831 in Williamsport by Jacob L. Mussina, its instrumentation consisted of flutes, clarinets, a piccolo, and only one brass instrument:  a French horn.

In 1840, Daniel Repasz became a member of the Band.  Recognized for his dynamic musical character, he became a major force behind the Band’s transformation into a fine brass band.  He was elected as the Band’s fourth director in 1856, and in gratitude for his dedication and accomplishments, the Band members adopted the name Repasz Band in 1859.

The Repasz Band has a proud musical heritage, having performed for a variety of civic and military events. Here is a sampling of some of the Band’s more notable engagements: The Band’s first appearance on a national occasion came when it traveled by canal boat to Baltimore, accompanying the Pennsylvania delegation to the Presidential Convention in 1844 where Henry Clay was nominated for President of the United States. In 1861, the Band enlisted in the 11th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and after three months of service, enlisted in the 29th Pennsylvania Volunteers.  After the Band completed its second enlistment, the greater part of the musicians next enlisted in the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry and served until the end of the Civil War, seeing action in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as at Lee’s surrender.

At Appomattox Court House they played the “Star Spangled Banner” and “Rally Round the Flag” alternating with a Confederate Army Band who played “Bonnie Blue Flag” and “Dixie.] The Band performed at the original dedication of President Grant’s Tomb on April 27, 1897, in New York City.

One hundred years later to the day, April 27, 1997, the Repasz Band performed for the rededication of Grant’s Tomb.  At the conclusion of the official ceremonies, in which the Repasz Band was one of only two bands participating, the Repasz Band entertained hundreds of people with a concert of Civil War music.

During the Spanish American War, the Band played for the Pennsylvania National Guard from 1898 to the end of the war under the directorship of Herdic Wood (plus three enlistments between 1903 and 1912). In 1899, a spectacular pageant called “The Spanish War,” featuring a cast of nearly 1,000 was performed in various locations by the Repasz Band. In 1903, the Band became the official band of the 12th Regiment of the National Guard of Pennsylvania, and marched in that capacity in the inaugural parades of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 and Howard Taft in 1909. During World War I, 32 band members (known as the Repasz War Band) joined the Navy on October 17, 1917.

Hazel dedicated his composition “Our Blue Jackets” to this impressive band. This contingent of the Repasz Band participated in patriotic parades and toured the country appearing in recruiting drives and Liberty Loan campaigns while stationed at the Pelham Naval Station near New York City.   In 1981, the Band played at the White House to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

Frederick E. Manson, in a short article entitled “Personal Recollections of the Repasz,” says that “perhaps one of the most splendid personal testimonies to the Repasz came from John Philip Sousa when Sousa’s band came to Williamsport in 1915. With his band he was being entertained in the Repasz rooms – the Repasz has entertained every band of prominence visiting Williamsport from Patrick Gilmore’s band to Sousa’s.  Addressing Mr. Harry Parker, its manager, Sousa said:  ‘You have what I cannot buy, a loyalty and enthusiasm without which an organization like yours must be mediocre.  Your band has risen above that.’”

And it was this loyalty and enthusiasm of the players themselves that inspired the people of Williamsport lately to rally to the support of the old Repasz” when the Lycoming Opera House in Williamsport burned on May 31, 1915.  The band had been based there and lost 84 years’ worth of records and memorabilia, its music library, trophies, and most of its uniforms and instruments.

Still the band filled an engagement the day after the fire, and in two weeks filled another with “all new equipment made in Williamsport.” As described in Edwin L. Suter’s article, “Priceless Relics and Famous Library Destroyed by Fire,” during the first year of its existence the Band began to gather a collection of music copied by hand into books for each instrument.  In process the “library” of the Band grew to great size.  It was said to be the largest collection of hand copied music in the country.  It represented the work of hundreds of men . . .  Groping among the ruins the other day Mr. Parker extracted an old singed, water-soaked book many years old.  It was all that was recoverable of the famous “library.”  In the list of the burned notes of melody were seven sets of instrument books, leather bound and dating back to 1831, and reaching down to the seventies [1870s].  There was no such thing as printed band music when the making of these books was begun and there was no such thing for many years after.  The musical collection of the Band grew with the organization.

Another precious relic lost was a banner that the “lady friends” of the Band gave it in 1837.  Back in the days of canal travel, the Band journeyed to Bellefonte by packet boat.  Its musical achievements on that occasion were commemorated by the banner.  Then there was an oil painting, Daniel Repasz and the Village Orchestra, by C. Lawrence, an original member of the Band in 1831, and it’s first and only “brass” player at that time (French horn).  There were also a baton and portraits of Captain W. N. Jones, one of the famous drum majors of Civil War days.

The organization had sacredly preserved an ancient key bugle, the first brass instrument used in the Band by Daniel Repasz.  Mr. Suter stated that “somewhere in the ruins there is probably a lump of brass representing the old time maker of melody.  The late Herdic Wood, director of the Band for many years, had contributed to the list of things valued – the Lord’s Prayer done in scroll work.  The prayer represented the labour of various odd times that, pieced together, made a month of continuous work.  It was destroyed by the flames.

A massive cut glass vase, presented to the Repasz musicians by the Corning Band, of Corning, NY, was lost with the rest.  The roster of the Band in Civil War days and other valuable records were burned.  The Band had a collection of portraits and letters of prominent bands and great bandsmen of this and other countries.  These represented Patrick Gilmore, John Philip Sousa, Innes, the Kilties of Hamilton, Ontario, and the “Bess o the Bairnes” from Scotland, and so on, and with them portraits and letters of commendation from United States Army and Pennsylvania National Guard officers.  The art collection comprised about 200 pictures.  They faded and shrivelled in a minute in the furnace of flame that took possession of the band room.

During the Depression, with nowhere to rehearse and no money to rent a room, the Repasz Band merged with the Elks Band.  Many of the members played in both anyway, and the Elks offered a home.  From the 1950s through the early 1990s, the Band became known as the Repasz Elks Band.

In the late 1940s the Band languished.  Rehearsals were held intermittently, and attendance was poor.  The future was in doubt.  A man named Earl Williams took on the task of saving the Band.  Occasionally referred to as “Mr. Repasz,” Earl has been a member since 1938 (an impressive 65 years).

Gene Bardo in “The Legacy of the Repasz Band” notes that when the Band was founded in 1831, there were no school bands, and the group was already 74 years old when the first high school band was founded in Connersville, Indiana in 1905.  Modern military bands and their music evolved over a long period of time and also includes groups like the Allentown Band.  Since the time when Daniel Repasz moulded his organization, others headed by such men as Patrick Gilmore, John Philip Sousa, Arthur Pryor, Edwin Franko Goldman, and Harold Bachman came, had their hey-day, and faded into history.  Only the Repasz Band has continued its lineage and to this day looks forward to a promising future.

Bibliography taken from the History of the band
Gene Bardo, “The Legacy of the Repasz Band,” The Instrumentalist, January 1983.
InSites, Vol. 5, No. 1, Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Newsletter, 1989)
“A Short History of the Famous Repasz Band, The Oldest Band in America, 1831 – 1931″ from the Repasz Band’s 100th Anniversary Programme; 1931)
Edwin L. Suter, “Priceless Relics and Famous Library Destroyed by Fire,” Repasz Band booklet (Grit

Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
Contributed by Mary Godwin and Laurie Brisson

Graduates of the famed Palm Beach High School loved music and performing in the high school band so much that in the summer of 1961 they founded the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches in order to continue playing together.  The Symphonic Band has spent the past 49 years performing for the community and giving back to the community by awarding scholarships to local students and grants to band and general music programs in the Palm Beach County (FL) school district.  Next year the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches will be celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Scholarship Program
For nearly 18 years the Band was under the capable direction of Rudolph von Unruh.  When Mr. von Unruh’s life came to an untimely end in 1982, the Band took the step of formally recognizing Mr. von Unruh’s long-term contribution to the Band by establishing the Rudolph von Unruh Memorial Scholarship which is awarded at the Annual Memorial Scholarship Concert. The proceeds of this concert are awarded as scholarships to deserving local students pursuing a college degree or attending a summer music camp.

In 2008 the Band established the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches’ Rudolph von Unruh Young Musicians Scholarship, a $20,000 endowed scholarship.  For the past couple of seasons, the concert series has been co-sponsored by Palm Beach State College allowing the Band to add money to the principal of its endowed scholarship in addition to funding an annual scholarship.  To date over $230,000 has been awarded in scholarships and grants to benefit the youth of our community.

Concert Series
Since 1999, the Band has presented a full 5-concert series at the beautiful Eissey Campus Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens and offers an additional 3-concert series at the Duncan Campus Theatre in Lake Worth. To expand the audience base and make the concerts more enjoyable and interesting to our patrons, the band brought in guest artists of local and national acclaim. Internationally renowned conductors, including Colonel Arnald Gabriel, Dr. Alfred Reed, Dr. Paul Yoder, Dr. Harold Walters, Loras Schissel and Commander Alan Beck have been guest conductors with the band.

The Baton is Passed
Mr. Mark Humphreys was appointed the Symphonic Band‘s conductor in May 2008.  Nearing completion of his second season with the Band, the group continues to grow and has increased in size and instrumentation.  Our programming continues to include a wide variety of music styles and genres ranging from Masterworks to Pop and Jazz, and music from Broadway, and the Movies, composed and arranged by internationally renowned composers and arrangers.

Because of their amazing dedication to furthering music education and appreciation in the youth of America via their successful scholarship program, the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches is Altissimo!’s July Community Band Spotlight. To learn more about the band, you can visit their Website at www.SymBandPB.com.

Community Music from the Golden Heart of Alaska
CONCERT BANDS IN THE LAST FRONTIER

Contributed by Jack Kopstein
Edited by Krista Slinkard

Today’s Fairbanks Community Band is part of a long tradition in Fairbanks history. Fairbanks bands have existed almost continuously from the near the beginning of the 20th century, but names and dates are subject to dispute; it all depends on whose memory you consult. Despite changing names, conductors, and even type of music played, the bands of Fairbanks’ past inspired the Fairbanks Community Band to be what it is today.

The band that is known today has a heritage of many different beginnings as the years went by. Earliest records document a town brass band in 1905 with nine members directed by Charles Westley. According to a concert brochure dated in the 1950s, a 10-piece Cowboy Band was organized in 1909. Then, in 1914, William Gobracht, a very tough instructor with a heavy German accent according to Chuck Grey, organized and directed a band of 18 members. In 1920, V.F. Jake Jacobs took over leadership of the band until 1945. The band was in a hiatus until 1948 when it was taken over by Kenneth Lauritzen, who invited William Gobracht, who by this time was likely in his 80’s, back to conduct some of the rehearsals and a concert or two. Two years later in 1950, Eva Myhre took over as conductor of the community band, which finally had to disband in 1952 due to the Korean War.

In 1956 Tom Brady started the University Civic band comprising university students and community members, but no one remembers for just how long this particular phase of the band’s past stuck around. From 1959 through 1961, Bob Boko ran a community Band with Jack O’Connor. In 1961 Jack left the state and Bob Boko took over the reins of the Lathrop High School Band Program. His departure marked the end of the community band program in Fairbanks until the fall of 1994 when George Wiese, Band Director of West Valley High School, and Donald Hildie, Band Director of Lathrop High School, saw a need for a community band. They approached Tracy Gibbons, who was the director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Wind Ensemble, to see if he would have the time to conduct a community band as well. When he agreed to conduct, the three of them went to an attorney to draw up a set of by-laws for the band and to apply for non-profit status.

In 1997, Gibbons left the University of Alaska, vacating his position as conductor, and the Board of Directors asked then-retired band director Boko if he would reprise his role from the early 1960s and take over the job as conductor. When Boko retired from the band in the spring of 2004, the Board called on Hildie, the now retired Lathrop High band director, to assume his position. Hildie agreed and took the job of conductor/music director for the community band in the fall of 2004.

After a two-year run as conductor, Don retired from the band after a farewell concert on October 22, 2006 and the baton passed to Ann Musco, a faculty member in the UAF Music Department and conductor of the UAF Wind Symphony. Ann was the director of music and conductor of the concert band until the summer of 2007, when she passed the baton on to Roger Ridenour.

The following summer, Roger, expecting to be transferred out of state, resigned as director and was replaced by Wendy Ward, a music teacher in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. At the present time, Wendy is still director of the Concert Band, and is an active member of the Jazz Band, where she plays alto saxophone.

The Fairbanks Community Band is a non-profit organization for the presentation and support of rehearsals and concerts. Their members are adult musicians who want to continue performing as a lifelong avocation and to support the musical development of members of the local community. Participants are all volunteers and come from a wide variety of roles within the community. Most of the members received their early training in public school music programs, and some continued to study music through college or in the military. A number of members are active or retired music teachers looking for a creative outlet to play their instruments as well as lead their school groups in music education

The concert band (sometimes called a wind symphony or symphonic band) includes about 55 people who play woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments. Their performances are drawn from the full range of the concert repertoire from marches to symphonies to popular compositions both old and new. The group meets from September through May and plays four concerts each year in a local auditorium at the Park Arts Center. The band does not charge admission for public concerts. Donations are welcome. Both bands present concerts, either separately, together, or with other groups. In the off-season, the band splits into smaller versions including a concert band and a jazz band.

The Concert Band is active from May through July, mostly playing concerts outdoors. The outdoor repertoire features music more suitable for that environment than the indoor performance repertoire, but may include some of the same pieces. Outdoor performances are informal. Audiences often move about during concerts. Kids, pets, and families are especially welcomed as are picnic lunches or snacks.

The Jazz Band is structured as a traditional Big Band. This is a group of about 16 performers, typically including 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, bass, and drums. A vocalist or a guitar may be added to the basic group. The Big Band is modeled after the popular bands of the jazz and swing eras, many of which continue today. The history of big band music is rich and diverse. The music includes many forms of dance music and several varieties of jazz. The band often features vocal or instrumental solos by band members or guest artists.

Both bands play for community events and in support of non-profit organizations and are also available for hire for private events and special occasions. The Bands play occasional concerts and appear with other local performance groups, and they occasionally join with the Concert Band for a combined concert. Fees for performances are used to expand our libraries and to purchase and maintain our performance equipment.

During the summer, the bands play several outdoor concerts including the Wednesday evening concerts program at Golden Heart Plaza in downtown Fairbanks. They are a regular participant in the annual Golden Days Parade, the midnight sun festival, community walks and other celebrations. One or both groups usually play at the fair in August.

In addition to the concert schedule, the Concert Band provides music for graduation ceremonies of the Adult Learning Programs of Alaska, and other small schools which cannot provide their own music. We are proud to provide this community service to enhance the experience of students completing their high school education.

Because of their high involvement with the local community, and because we happen to think Alaska is pretty cool, we are proud to present the Fairbanks Community Band from Fairbanks, Alaska, as the Altissimo! Community Band Spotlight for the Month of May 2010.

For more information on this band, please visit their website here.

If you know of a band or are in a band you’d like to see featured in our Spotlight, please email Krista at krista@militarymusic.com.

Contributed by Jack Kopstein

The Ottawa Wind Ensemble

Altissimo salutes our feature community band which is situated in the Canadian capital of Ottawa and performs numerous engagements in the capital region.

The Ottawa Wind Ensemble (OWE) was formed in 2005, drawing together current and former Canadian Forces musicians, music teachers, and other professional musicians, in a professional calibre group.

Under the direction of founding conductor, Mark Rocheleau, this 35 member ensemble performs the symphonic wind ensemble repertoire made famous by the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the rich concert band repertoire from North America and Europe, and the orchestral transcriptions of the famous composers. While the OWE is technically a community band, most of the members are fully involved in a life of music, whether it be as freelance musicians, music educators, or full time professionals. The raison d’être of the OWE is to perform at the highest calibre of musicianship possible, and anyone who attends a concert will appreciate this for themselves.

The ensemble’s conductor is Mark Rocheleau. Born and raised in Amherstburg, Ontario, (near the border city of Windsor Ontario), Rocheleau began his formal studies in 1979 at the University of Windsor, majoring on clarinet, and graduating with a Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Education. His private clarinet teachers were Dr. Imre Rozsnyai of the University of Windsor and Paul Schaller of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. After four seasons with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, he acquired a direct entry into the Canadian Forces Vimy Band in Kingston in 1985, where he broadened his musical experience playing both clarinet and saxophone. In August of 1994, he was posted to the Central Band of the Canadian Forces here in Ottawa and was eventually selected for a yearlong assistant conductor’s course, which he completed in 1999. In October of 2005, Mark had completed 20 years of service with the Canadian Forces and elected to retire. His project since then has been to form The Ottawa Wind Ensemble, which was founded in September of 2005.

Mark Rocheleau is joined in the Ottawa Wind Ensemble by several former professional military musicians who reside in retirement in Ottawa and environs. Several of the musicians have outstanding backgrounds in the music field.

Our hats off to the OTTAWA WIND ENSEMBLE, the Community Band Spotlight for March.

For more information on the Ottawa Wind Ensemble, please visit their website.

Please write to me if you would like your community band to be featured. The line is growing fast so GET ON THE BANDWAGON!

**If you are in a band or know of a band we should feature in our Spotlight,  please contact Jack at jack@militarymusic.com or Krista at krista@militarymusic.com

ALTISSIMO! RECORDINGS
FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER 2010
Krista Slinkard, Altissimo! Staff

MINNEAPOLIS POLICE BAND

In Minneapolis, MN, the winter snow may be falling, the temperatures might be dropping, and the wind might hit you in the face, but the Minneapolis Police Band will play on. This was the case this past December when the band performed in the Holidazzle Parades in Minnesota in bone-chilling 16 degree weather. Now that’s dedication! This group of musicians enjoys playing no matter what the situation may be. Comprised of both civilians and officers, both active and retired, the band strives to make music fun for all, including themselves.

Founded in 1917, the band’s first official performance was for an Armistice Day parade in November of 1918. These musicians typically march in 4 or 5 parades per year in addition to other concert performances. There are approximately 28 members in the marching band, 17 in the swing band, and 35 in the concert band, with an age range of 18-88. In this group, there are several military veterans, including two who specifically played in the US Army band during their service to their country.

The music is generally selected by the director, but the band is always open to public suggestions for expanding their library. Two recent directors mastered the art of selecting music. Retiring at the end of 2007, Officer Robert Falk ended his 40-year service as director of the band, which began in 1967. Mr. Falk was a respected member and leader of the band and in the community. Upon his retirement, Bob Dynan stepped out of his Assistant Director role and into the shoes of the Director.

The band tries to make their concerts very audience friendly, and even have a vocalist to accompany them on certain songs and also be the Master of Ceremonies or drum major, depending on what role he needs to fill that day. The talented band has a wide repertoire of tunes to choose from to play. Favorites include “Them Basses,” “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “American Patrol,” and “in the Christmas Mood,” a favorite for December concerts and parades.

In addition to playing locally, they have worked with elementary schools to promote the continued study of music and music education, and they have also traveled across the US and Canada. In 2006, the Minneapolis Police Band had the honor of being inducted into the Minneapolis State Music Hall of Fame.

At the end of a day’s practice, the Minneapolis Police Band members either go home or go back to protecting those they serve. Just another day in the life, but all the more worthwhile when there’s music to be made, and for that Altissimo! salutes this band in the Community Band Spotlight.

For more information on the Minneapolis Police Band, visit their website.

Special Thanks to Patty Bjork for being an excellent interviewee!

If you know of a band that we should highlight, please let us know! Email Krista at krista@militarymusic.com

CHESAPEAKE BAY WIND ENSEMBLE
Written by Ryley Erhardt
Edited by Krista Slinkard

Welcome to the Altissimo! Community Band Spotlight for December. Each month we look at community bands across the nation, and this month we’re pleased to present the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble.

The Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble is a non-profit band, which performs for communities in and around the Hampton Roads area (Williamsburg, Hampton, and Newport News).  Formed by Robert Arledge and the late Jim Paschall in 1998, it now consists of around forty members.  Impressively, nine of its current members are either active duty military or veterans of the Armed Services, including the Music Director who has over twenty-seven years of service.

As a non-profit, the Ensemble tries to give more than just music to its community.  Since its founding, the band has given over five thousand dollars in scholarships to promising youth in musical fields, permitting them to further their education.

Beyond this, the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble specifically encourages high school students to join.  This gives these students professional musical experience that is difficult to acquire from school training alone.  With its youngest member having only witnessed fifteen new years, while the oldest is hinging on ninety, this creates a fascinating diversity within, which allows the older members to mentor the younger, preparing the next generation of Virginian musicians to perform at a high caliber.

The band’s current conductor, Tom Altringer has a fascinatingly eclectic musical history.  Commissioned as a Warrant Officer/Bandmaster in 1978, he spent the next twenty-three years traveling and conducting in such places as Brooklyn, Washington, New Jersey, and even Germany.  Perhaps his most interesting assignment was to the 6th Infantry Division Band in Anchorage, Alaska.  Besides worrying about musical perfection, Mr. Altringer had to address the issue of instruments not freezing up while performing.  After overcoming this unique adversity, conducting concerts in the milder weather conditions of Virginia must be a relief.

The fascinating variety represented within the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble has allowed it to touch all ages within the Virginia Peninsula, while permitting the younger members to learn from the extensive professional experience of the older members.

Because of this professionalism and dedication to improving the youth of the community, we proudly present The Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble as our Community Band Spotlight for November. 

If you would like more information about the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble, please visit their website at www.cbwe.org.

**Special thanks to Karen Kittell, President of the CBWE, for her help in making this article
***If you know of a community band you’d like to see featured, please send an email to krista@militarymusic.com