Band
History
A musical tradition continues ...
The Brockville Concert Band arises from a long tradition of community and
military bands in Brockville. Civic bands provided entertainment at public
venues such as community picnics and outdoor skating rinks. The Brockville
Rifles Reserve Band entertained "on the green" in the 1930s and 40s.
Military band members returning from WWII formed the Brockville Civic Band.
Re-organized as the Brockville Concert Band in 1974, the BCB inherited a
musical tradition (and actual sheet music) from Civic and military bands dating
back to the turn of the 20th century.
The Brockville Concert Band performs for various community functions and
entertains at charitable fundraising events.
The
Brockville Museum has accepted a number of Band items into their archives. The
items can be accessed through the Museum’s online
collections database.
Musical Director
Since 1995, the Band's musical director has been trumpeter/French horn player
and (now retired) music/technology teacher Lance Besharah. Lance holds a B.A. in Music
Education from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, NS and an Honours
Tech Specialist qualification from Queens University in Kingston, ON.
After
graduation, Lance taught music in Nova Scotia, then returned to Ontario
(Brockville) to work with the Alexander family business – Sam the Record
Man. He taught private music lessons and repaired musical instruments. At this
time Lance first joined the Brockville Concert Band - as a trumpet player.
Finding no teaching jobs available in music, in 1980 he started a custom
cabinet making business which he operated successfully for many years. When the
musical director of the Brockville Concert Band, Lance’s lifelong friend
Howard Alexander, was offered a job opportunity in Newfoundland, Lance took
over as musical director of the Brockville Concert Band for the first time.
Lance also taught a music history and appreciation course at St. Lawrence
College for four sessions. As fate would have it, in 1995 his cabinet shop
burned down and an opening for a construction tech teacher became available at
Thousand Islands Secondary School. Within a few years, the music teacher
position also became vacant and Lance now had the opportunity to marry all of
his loves. His lifelong interest in the wood lathe developed into turning wood
as an art and ultimately opening a woodturning school and gallery (Turning North).
Lance has directed numerous musicals for the Brockville
Operatic Society, Thousand Islands Secondary School and jointly with Brockville
Collegiate Institute. He has shared
the stage with many other fine Brockville musicians and ensembles performing in
the Hardy Park summer concerts, various churches and the New Year’s Eve
concerts. He played trumpet and French horn for many productions of the St.
Lawrence College Music Theatre Program.
Lance
was inducted into the Brockville and Area Music and Performing Arts Hall of Fame
in 2009 as a member (musical director) of the Brockville Concert Band and again
in 2010 as an individual musician.
On
May 21, 2016 at the Spring Community Concert, the Band recognized Lance’s
20 years as Musical Director with a special
presentation and gift.
