Well, as I've been telling you the CSB celebrated 100 years of service over this past weekend. Actually, we've been celebrating it all year long but Saturday night and Sunday marked the culmination. Sunday afternoon was our last engagement for the calendar year and since the band was formed in 1907 when we next meet together on January 8, 2008 we'll be beginning our second century rather than celebrating the first one.
On Saturday we had a banquet that included the current CSB, our guests and a number of alumni. The banquet was quite informal with only a short program. Each member of the alumni in attendance were presented with a framed litho of CSB album covers that have been created through the years. Current CSB members had received their own copies of this at the rehearsal on Friday night. It is a unique gift to commemorate the event.
Our Executive Officer, Lt. Colonel McLaren presented a special edition of the litho to both Bandmaster William Himes and Colonel Ernest Miller, the only two men living who have been CSB Bandmasters. Music at the banquet consisted of the current band and alumni joining together to sing two items.
We all then headed over to Edman Chapel for the concert. The hall holds just under 2,400 people and I'd estimate there were between 2,100 and 2,200 present with only the worst seats in the house vacant. I'll list the program items for the evening at the end of this posting but the evening went well and the audience was very responsive. Chris & Carol Jaudes were perfect guest artists for the occasion.
At the conclusion of the program it was time to pack things up so that we could get them to the Norridge Citadel Corps for a worship service on Sunday morning and a concert with the Alumni Band on Sunday afternoon.
The Alumni Band served as the duty band at the worship service and Commissioner Robert Thomson, himself a former member of the band, brought the message.
Following lunch the chapel was transformed to accommodate both the current band and the alumni band. The current band led off the afternoon concert with a few items. The Alumni Band followed under the joint direction of Bill Himes and Ernest Miller. One of the highlights of the concert was the playing of the cornet solo "Happy Day" done by four soloists, Bill Scarlett, Randy Cox, Tom Gabrielson and Peggy Thomas. Following the Alumni Band solo items the two bands combined for several massed band items. The day and celebration concluded with the singing of "Rock of Ages" and the playing of "Rousseau" both under the baton of Colonel Miller.
All in all it was a blessed weekend and I'm sure my description of it hasn't done it justice. I guess it really was just something you needed to experience for yourself.
For my part it was great to get to see so many alumni that I've played with down over the years and to meet some that played before even my time. I think we were all challenged by what is yet to come.
OK... as promised for the brass band geeks out there here is the concert program from Saturday night that includes several pieces that were written specifically for the celebration:
"Milestone" (Himes)
"Celebration" (Thomson/Himes)* - CSB Chorus
"Festival of Thanksgiving" (Downie)*
"Clear Skies" (Ball) - Chris Jaudes, soloist
1 Corinthians 13 - Carol Jaudes
"This Day" (Alexander) - Carol Jaudes, soloist
"Accentuate the Positive" (Mercer & Arlen) - Carol Jaudes, soloist
"Green Hornet" (Hirt/arr. Gates) - Chris Jaudes, soloist
"Post Bellum Rhapsody" (Leidzen)
"Hallelujah!" (Curnow)*
"Celebration" (Thomson/Himes)* - Sing-Along
"Onward Christian Soldiers" (Winch/arr. Freeh) - Chris Jaudes, soloist
"Precious Lord, Take My Hand" (Dorsey/arr. Broughton)* - Chris Jaudes, soloist
"Artist of My Soul" (Vale/arr. Himes) - Carol Jaudes, soloist
"To Worlds Unknown" (Bulla)*
"Ashokan Farewell" (Unger/arr. Fernie)
"Three Kings Swing" (Himes)
"Choral Benediction" (Himes) - CSB Chorus & Alumni
*Commissioned especially for the CSB 100th Anniversary
If you attended any of the events of the weekend, why not leave a comment or two about your own impressions?
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