by Jack MacQuarrie
As I sit down to write, the Canadian National Exhibition has just opened for another season. The CNE used to mean one or more performances on either the Main Bandshell or the smaller North Bandstand, but now band concerts there are only a memory. Gone are the “Feature Bands” from Britain, the USA and around the globe. One could be tempted to believe that band concerts were as archaic as saddle shoes and bobby socks and that town bands were extinct. Times have changed, but, as you will see, the town band has not disappeared; it has evolved.
I have been asked, as the first challenge in my new role as WholeNote’s Band Stand columnist to investigate the state of the band community in Ontario by revising last year’s list and ferreting out others to be added. With close to two hundred telephone calls, e-mails, web searches and in-person chats over the past two weeks, I have my answer. Community bands in Ontario are alive and well. I started with a list of 46 bands; the list now stands at 101, and is still growing. My queries, without exception, were greeted with a warm and friendly response, and with almost every telephone call there were personal reflections of memorable performances, friends in common, and bands or venues in which we had played. It has been like a two week long family reunion. My only regret is that it will be impossible to accept all of the invitations to visit and/or sit in with the bands contacted. Thank you all who assisted, in particular, Keith Estabrooks of The Valley Concert Band in Arnprior and Max MacDonald of the Perth Citizens’ Band.
Many of the bands I contacted have their own websites. The home page of The National Capital Concert Band in Ottawa, www.nccb .ca, is particularly impressive, while top marks for names go to the “No Strings Attached Community Band” in Sudbury and “The Gravenhurst Bifocals Band!” and for content to Graham Nasby of the Wellington Winds, www.grahamnasby.com. Banding is certainly not dead.
With your participation, Band Stand can be a clearing house to exchange information throughout our banding community. Please stay in touch. Already, in my calling around, I have learned of a husband and wife who have been playing in one of the listed community bands and now are moving to another community and will be looking for a band which is a good match for their tastes and musical abilities. I hope this listing will assist them.
The list in the magazine includes the name of each band and a contact name and phone number. The online version is located at wwwthewholenote .com and includes: rehearsal day, time and location, conductor’s name, website, e-mail and who can join.
While the focus this month is on the listing of bands, I would be remiss if I did not mention two special events coming soon:
As part of the opening ceremonies for the new Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Lane in Brampton, on the Sunday Sept. 10th, 2006 at 8:00 pm The City of Brampton Concert Band will present “A Tribute to Howard Cable”. As Guest Conductor, Dr. Howard Cable OC will conduct a new work commissioned for the occasion.
A special event of a different sort takes place early in the fall when the Etobicoke Community Concert Band hosts an open house for potential new members to visit and sit in. Call for details of date, time and place.
Jack MacQuarrie has served over 25 years on the Board of the Canadian Band Association, and more than 15 years as the senior master of ceremonies of the Toronto Parks and recreation summer music program and has worked on several CAMMAC summer music programs. Jack is a life member of the Toronto Musicians Association and is a regular performing member of no less than four instrumental musical groups. Jack can be reached at bandstand@thewholenote.com.
WholeNote 8th Annual Community Band Directory
22nd Wing Military Concert Band
Warrant Officer Chip Kean 705-494-2011 ext 2234 (North Bay)
8 Wing Concert Band (Trenton)
Sgt. Gordon Smith 613-392-2811 x3510
Acton Citizens’ Band
George Elliott 519-853-0356
Argonotes, Toronto Argonauts Band
Steve Hayman 416-769-2847
Ayr-Paris Band
Heidi Ostner 519-632-7433
Barrie Concert Band
Betty Lillo or Henry Bergsma 705-436-5529 or 705-721-4168
Bayfield Winds Concert Band (Goderich)
Paul Dearlove 519-565-5611
Brampton Concert Band
David Harmsworth 905-451-6389 (h) or 905-451-0174 (b)
Brass Conspiracy (Toronto)
Dan Manley 416-409-4637
Brassroots (London)
Bram Gregson 519-264-2620
Brockville Concert Band
Karen Frech 613-345-2394
Burlington Concert Band
Harland R. Marshall 905-312-9544
Burlington Teen Tour Band
Laura Filman 905-335-7808
Caledon Concert Band
Andy Dunn 416-276-7852
Cambridge Concert Band
Elizabeth Reed 519- 653-1055
Carleton Place and District Community Band
Graham Ingram 613-253-0846
Centralaires Band (Ottawa)
Richard Nolan 613-745-2663
Chatham Concert Band
Dr. John Leigh 519-352-7167
Chinguacousy Band (Brampton)
Al Bourke 905-455-1917 or 416-435-1917
Clarington Concert Band (Bowmanville)
Colin Rowe 905- 697-8956
Concert Band of Cobourg
Andrew Jourard 905-697-3190
Dundas Concert Band
Dave Baldry 905-523-9500
East York Concert Band
Ernie Walker 416-266-1958
Encore …The Concert Band (London)
Judy Reid 519-473-1778
Encore Symphonic Concert Band (Thornhill)
Tom Robins 416-239-366
Etobicoke Community Concert Band
Dennis Locke 416-622-8389 or 416-410-1570
Etobicoke Youth Band
Michael Samotowka 416-239-9724
Fergus Brass Band
Peter Harris 519-843-5609
Festival Wind Orchestra (Toronto)
Shelley Goodman 416-491-1683
Fort Erie Legion Concert Band
Brian Williams 905-227-0150
Frontenac Community Concert Band
Rick Cory 613-549-7436 (Kingston)
Galt Kiltie Band
Bob Fox 519-621-8707
Georgina Brass Band (Keswick)
Don Giles 905-476-7123
Gravenhurst Bifocals Band
Bonnie Parkhill 705-645-8810
Greater Windsor Concert Band
Karen Barnes 519-726-6723
Guelph Concert Band
Terry Gillespie 519-824-9504
Haldimand-Norfolk Concert Band
Douglas Campbell 905-768-3969
Hamilton Concert Band
Dave Pearson 905-772-5205
Hannaford Community Band (Toronto)
Anita McAlister 905-847-7682
Hannaford Junior Band (Toronto)
Anita McAlister 905-847-7682
Hannaford Youth Band (Toronto)
Darryl Eaton 905-847-7682
Hart House Symphonic Band (Toronto)
Zoe Dille 416-978-5362
Highlands Concert Band (Haliburton)
Ken Loney 705-754-4074
Highlands Wind Symphony
Glen Carter 705 457-2862 (Haliburton)
Holland’s Glorie Band (St. Catharines)
Gus Jonker 905-934-7712
Intrada Brass (Mississauga)
Doug Field 905-849-0728
Kitchener Musical Society Band
Cathy Baer 519-571-0677
Koffler Concert Band (Toronto)
Resa Kochberg or Adrienne Cohen 905-731-4845 or 416-636-1880 x228
Koffler Concert Band Resa’s Pieces
Resa Kochberg or Adrienne Cohen 905-731-4845 or 416-636-1880 ext. 228
Lambton Concert Band (Sarnia)
Norm Sutherland 519-882-1816
Lincoln Concert Band (Bowmanville)
Richard Rybiak 905-892-2105
Lindsay Kinsmen Band
Michael Warren 705-328-3212
London Concert Band
Robert Kennedy 519-439-4757
Lydian Wind Ensemble (Whitby)
Jacqueline Boufford 905-666-1909
Malta Band Club (Mississauga)
Sam Caruana 416-290-6444
Maple Leaf Brass Band (Ottawa)
Nick Reilly 613-592-5502
Markham Concert Band
Rob Wells 416-464-0135
Metropolitan Silver Band (Toronto)
Michele McCall 416-480-0725
Mississauga Pops Concert Band
David Jordan 905-279 –2571
Muskoka Concert Band
Roger Bolt 705-687-0253
National Capital Concert Band
Stanley H. Clark 613-256-9783
Nepean Concert Band
613-825-9310
Newmarket Citizens’ Band
Catherine Zilli 905-713-2961
Niagara Falls Concert Band
Bob Durst 905-935-3276
No Strings Attached Community Band
Sandra McMillan 705-523-5627 (Sudbury)
North Durham Millennium Band
Sandy Weeks 905-852-1927 (Port Perry)
North Toronto Community Band
John Krongold 416-787-5193
North York Concert Band
Sydney Gangbar 416-781-6728 eve, 905-470-0272 day
Northdale Concert Band (Toronto)
Dixie McMorran 416-466-7409
Oakville Wind Orchestra
905-466-9306 (Pager)
Orillia Silver Band
Steve Sanderson 705-326-7926
Orillia Wind Ensemble
Anna Proctor 705-487-6724
Oshawa Civic Band
Bill Askew 905-579-2220
Ottawa Community Concert Band (OCCB)
Jim Glover 613-824-4294
Ottawa Fire Department Band
Paul Casagrande 613-831-5834
Owen Sound City Band
John Dickson, President 519-376-3789
Oxford Breeze (Woodstock)
Ron Bailey 519-537-7871
Oxford Winds (Woodstock)
Ron Bailey 519-537-7871
Pembroke Legion Band
Barbara Blackstein 613-638-1994
Perth Citizens’ Band
Max MacDonald 613-257-8099
Petawawa Legion Community Band
Sheila Blore 613-584-2636
Peterborough Concert Band
Verne Hope 705-742-8193
Pickering Community Concert Band
Charlotte Kimball 905-509-2459
Port Colborne Concert Band
Brenda Fairchild-Green 905-685-1242
Regimental Band of The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)
Henry Verschuren 416-564-312 (Brampton)
Royal Canadian Legion Concert Band
Ted Winick 416-537-2299 (Toronto)
Seaway Winds Concert Band (Cornwall)
Barb Hunter 613-534-2111
South Simcoe Concert Band (Barrie)
Major Ron McKay 705-792-0071; 705-730-3861
Stratford Concert Band
Nigel Evans 519-673-3594
Swansea Community Concert Band
Michelle Springer 416-286-1045 (Toronto)
Telephone City Musical Society
Mark Gadsby 519-754-4312 (Brantford)
Thornhill Community Band
Joan or Lawry Sax 416-223-7152
Thorold Reed Band
Brian Williams 905-227-0150
Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra & Concert Winds
Adrienne Pluim 416-481-9099
Trenton Citizens’ Band
Moe Jeffery 613-392-8366
University of Toronto Alumni Band
Jack MacQuarrie 416-964-3642
Uxbridge Community Concert Band
Steffan Brunette 905-852-5560
Valley Concert Band (Arnprior)
Keith Estabrooks 613-832-2697
Waterloo Concert Band
Viki Ledwinka 519-846-5055
Wellington Winds
Dave Arthur 519-579-3097
Weston Silver Band
Theresa MacDonald 905-876-0866
Whitby Brass Band
Ian Redfern 905-668-8337
York University Wind Symphony
416-736-5186
