Forty years and counting

It is a Tuesday evening in the Paul Kane music room where the St. Albert Community Band rehearses weekly.

Tonight they play the larger than life Exodus, a tune of liberation and hope that is loud and heartfelt. It is a goose bump moment, both powerful and emotional, one that pushes all the right buttons.

There's a heck of a lot to be said for a community band that not only survives four decades, but year after year has developed a pedigree that ranks them as one of the top bands in Alberta.

The 55-piece band is once again front and centre, preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary in a three-day extravaganza that brings together alumni with current members and culminates in a public concert on Sunday, May 23 at the Arden Theatre.

But even as this musical organism is enjoying an unprecedented jubilation, it is also touched by a moment of poignant sadness. Current conductor Laurelie Nattress, a five-foot powerhouse of talent and humour, is retiring after 14 years of service. “She is outstanding. We will never replace her. They say no one is irreplaceable, but this is one case that this is not true,” said president and clarinet player Gerry Buccini.

From discussions with band members, there's a unanimous sense that Nattress has raised the bar while enhancing the easy-going camaraderie that makes the band such a cool place to play. Under Nattress' baton, this 55-member musical group performs two major concerts annually as well as playing at farmers' markets, musical festivals, competitions and sports events such as St. Albert Steel games.

Looking back through old programs, leaflets and newspaper articles, it quickly becomes obvious they have woven themselves into the musical fabric of the province. Their achievements are too abundant to list, but a few highlights include performing for Queen Elizabeth at the 2005 centennial, traipsing across the province on a centennial band tour, pairing up with the PreTenors for a benefit concert in 2007, joining the Royal Canadian Artillery Band for a benefit concert in support of military families and playing with the Edmonton Wind Symphony at Festival Place in 1997.

The band has also recorded two CDs and a commemorative tape. The latest CD is Lasting Images, a two CD set that will be released this year. Under Nattress, they have toured south to Eugene, Oregon playing with the University of Oregon Symphony Wind Ensemble, west to Victoria and to northern and southern Alberta as well as entertaining passengers on an Alaskan cruise.

Bill Carroll, 84, the band patriarch, was deeply touched by a Northern Alberta tour that looped around Grande Cache, Grande Prairie, Peace River and Dunvegan. But it was the final stop at Mayerthorpe that was most emotional. “We played in a grassy area with an outdoor memorial for an hour. One of our members played Last Post. It was such a tragic occurrence [the killing of four RCMP officers] and we were there to support members of the community.”

The band even has the distinction of taking home top honours over seven consecutive years from 1995 to 2002 as Outstanding Community Band at the Red Deer-based Alberta Band Association Festival of Bands. “I was very proud. The group did well, but I was also a little bit embarrassed,” said Nattress. “It was a big trophy to carry home. The comical take was that it was the Stanley Cup.”

Over the years, the band's silky sounds have earned them a plethora of well-earned accolades, much of which have been due to the vision of a few men that believed music could change and remake lives.

Back in 1970, the Lions Club wanted to kick-start a band in St. Albert. At that time there was no band program in schools. The idea was considered to be a cultural innovation. The club purchased the initial instruments, built a bandstand in Lions Park and Lions member Jerry Wennes was appointed conductor of this novice group of about 20 amateur musicians.

Buccini heard Wennes was looking for a clarinet player and met him at John Ducey Park, just behind what is now Telus Field. As Buccini, the only founding member tells it, “Jerry looked at me and said, ‘You're going to help me start that band' and I've been there since.”

Although a budget was non-existent and the grapevine was their main source of advertising, the non-auditioned band welcomed any musician from any walk of life. “We didn't turn anyone away.”

The best case in point was a 14-year-old tuba player named Wade Brown who attended W.D. Cuts. He was blind and could not see music sheets. His music partners Neela Bell and Kristina Barbieri would play music with him and record tapes. He would then take the music home and practice. In a December 1997 newspaper article, Brown said, “I can pretty much keep up. If the note is long enough, I can hit it.”

At one point the band peaked at 90 players, dropped to 35 and stabilized at around 60. It's pretty standard to see musicians playing well into their 80s, and the youngest recorded player was 11-year-old Lina Allemano, now a professional trumpet player based out of Toronto who occasionally performs at the Yardbird Suite.

In addition to being a welcoming harbour for all musicians, the band was determined to keep concert prices affordable. A flyer for 1990 lists ticket prices as $3 for adults and $1 for children/seniors.

Eleven conductors have guided the community band, each with their own style and contributions. Wennes promoted a jazzy style, Bob Heuerman (1971-73, 1975-78) was completely American trained, Peter Holt (1973-75) was an easy-going leader and science teacher Gene Osoba (1978-79) was methodical.

Bill Coates (1981-84), for whom the Bill Coates Memorial Award is named, was a British military man. “He was a charming old man and he knew his stuff. But he was very rigid, almost march-like in his style,” Buccini said.

Tom Smyth (1979-81, 1984-86) was an “excellent conductor, very business-like, very well-trained and he went on to develop the jazz band.”

And Walter Boldt (1986-1996), the second longest serving conductor, was “an extremely well-trained outstanding trumpet player. For the time he was around, he was the best overall musician we had.”

For years, the band's lifeblood has been the injection of new players, especially those young musicians graduating from high school and junior high band programs. But government cutbacks are slowly eroding band programs.

Kimberly Cloutier, 19, a science undergraduate at the University of Alberta, has played clarinet with the band for five years. She has witnessed band cuts at the junior high level and is encouraging young faces to join. “I'm trying to appeal to a younger generation. If there are no younger players, it will fall apart and I'd like to be playing there when I'm 80 years old.”

For more information visit www.sacb.ca