 |
The Leominster Colonial Band |
Home |
BECOME A PARTNER AND HELP RAISE MONEY  Join TD Bank's Affinity Membership Program and help raise money for the Colonial Band! It doesn't cost you a dime and proceeds will help us to keep the music playing. Click here for details. Sponsors    |
Thanks to all who attended our 22nd annual Christmas Concert in December. We appreciate your support. If you missed it, be sure to tune in to LATV (Leominster Public Access) to watch us there! Watch this space for information about our 2012 concert as it becomes available in the Fall. We'll be working all year to plan another exciting program! THE STORY OF OUR CHRISTMAS CONCERT The Colonial Band went for many years as a "summer only" ensemble, but this changed in 1990. Steven Piermarini, then the band's assistant conductor, had thought about the idea of performing a Christmas seasonal concert, but with the obstacles of funding and an available venue, the idea never came to fruition. In September of that year, the band played for the Johnny Appleseed parade and after the event, band member Frank Barba expressed a similar interest in having the band play at Christmas time. Frank's interest sparked action, and band manager John DeCicco soon secured both a site and funding to make the concert a reality, with the first one taking place on December 19, 1990. Sadly, Frank passed away only days after that parade and the concert was dedicated to his memory. The first two concerts were held at the Leominster Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center, and after that the concert was hosted for many years at the Italian-American Cultural Center on Lancaster Street. With the closing of that facility, the concert moved in 2003 to the Tata Auditorium at Leominster City Hall, where it continues today. Over the years, the concert has featured guest artists such as vocalists Rene Rancourt, Steve Marvin and Amanda Carr, and in 2006 it featured the premiere of the band's first commissioned piece, Sinfonia for Band, by composer Edward J. Madden. |