NORWICH – The formation of a concert band to serve musicians and audiences in the Greater Chenango County Area is underway. Numerous individuals who play in the Norwich City, Oxford Community, Smyrna Citizens, and other bands during summer were notified of the opportunity for playing in the reorganized Mid-York Concert Band (MYCB) during the fall, winter, and spring seasons when community bands are inactive. This resulted in a small, enthusiastic group meeting for MYCB’s first rehearsal in the evening of February 10th. During the evening, the group played through challenging arrangements of classical, semi-classical, show tunes as well as marches such as Zo Elliott’s “British Eighth” march. Before adjourning for the evening, members resolved to continue development of MYCB. Potential members will be again contacted by USPS mail as well as by email and phone calls. They will be polled to determine the optimal time for rehearsals. Until this task is completed, the band will rehearse on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of the month. The next rehearsal will be at 7:00 p.m. in the band room of the Norwich Middle School on Midland Dr.
The MYCB was originally organized in 1990 by Wilbur (Red) Raville and Jim Butterfield. To expedite the formation and support of the band, the community’s long existing Monday Evening Musical Club sponsored the band. As a project of the club, the band applied and received a Decentralization Grant from the New York State Art Council, administered by the Chenango County Council of the Arts.
Under the direction of Raville, the band successfully performed in December 1990 and June 1991. Both concerts were well received.
After becoming a recognized non-profit organization the following year, the concert band continued for three years. When all the band’s sections could not be filled adequately, it was reorganized as a modified brass band, known as the Mid-York Shining Brass Band. The band rehearsed and performed regularly until Raville, the director, retired in 2012.
As the challenge of continuing the brass band mounted, the board of directors for the non-profit group considered other means for providing instrumentalists a venue for playing live music for local audiences. As several musicians directing or playing in summer time community bands suggested, the option of reactivating the Mid-York Concert Band was considered.
The listing of musicians playing in the area indicated that the probability of filling all sections with competent players was favorable. Also, an experienced conductor and organizer of concert bands would be essential to direct the revitalization of the Mid-York Concert Band. Mr. Paul Hudson, who has these attributes, has agreed to help in this capacity. With the prospect of having these two elements in place, an application for financial support was filed through the Chenango Council of the Arts for a Decentralization Grant.
Hudson has a long standing interest in forming a regional band in which all year, he could play his string bass and others their instruments. Fortunately, he agreed to postpone the enjoyment of playing until the band’s new membership can elect a board of directors, which may look for candidates to become the permanent director so Paul can get back to playing.
For further information on the regional Mid-York Band contact Jim Butterfield at 607/334-6095 or butterjl@roadrunner.com.