Lehighton Band kicks off 150th year Sunday with free concert

On Sunday the Lehighton Band will open its 150th year of providing music to the Lehighton Area with its annual Spring Concert to be presented in the Lehighton Area Middle School Auditorium beginning at 3 p.m.

The band will perform a varied program including two excerpts from the First Movement of Tschaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, the Pathetic, a rarely heard number by George Gershwin simply titled "Japanese," and a number by James Swearingen titled "Blue Ridge Saga."

Soloists will be Lora Krum, flutist, playing Chaminade's "Concertino" and Joseph Plechavy, trombonist, playing "Blue Moon" by Richard Rodgers.

Marches will include "Stepping Along" by Goldman, Hosay's "Black Granite" written in honor of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, and John Philip Sousa's "Semper Fidelis."

There is no admission charge, but a freewill offering will be accepted to support the general operating costs of the band.

The Lehighton Band was organized in 1864. Since then the band has played thousands of concerts, participated in parades and has produced some outstanding musicians.

The band hopes to do a lot of celebrating this year in recognition of its anniversary, including three "Concerts Under The Stars," a summer series of concerts presented in the Borough Park as well as Eurana Park in Weatherly.

Of special interest will be the July concert which will be the anniversary concert and will include a selection written in each decade of the band's existence.

Since its founding in 1864 the band has had 17 leaders. The present conductor, Paul R. Smith, has been at the helm since 1965.

Over the years the band has rehearsed in a number of different venues.

About 1954 it purchased an unfinished garage on South Seventh Street which the members converted into a modern band hall.

All of the work was done on weekends and evenings by the members themselves.

Throughout the years the band has performed at practically every historical event including impromptu concerts at the end of World War I, World War II and more recently the program held in the park after the 9/11 attacks.

It was also a staple at the Lehighton Fair playing in the afternoons during the harness racing and in the evenings providing music for the stage show.

Today the band performs a number of concerts throughout the year as well as playing at various picnics, festivals and reunions.

The band has cut back on its marching, now only doing the Memorial Day Parade. In the past it marched in a number of firemen's parades, Halloween parades and Veterans Day parades.

During the Big Band Era, many famous bands tapped Lehighton musicians to fill in vacancies when they were in the area.

Some like Ronald (Bunny) Snyder went on to play with the Dorsey Brothers Band, Ben Bernie and Vincent Lopez.

Norman Snyder was a member of the Fred Waring Band while Irving Young was a member of the Frank Farnumil Orchestra when it introduce the Charleston craze in the Roaring Twenties.

Mel Hill also spent several years touring with various show bands. Men like Lynn Steigerwalt made a career as musicians in the Armed Forces.

Certainly of note is Dennis Seiwell, who became the drummer in Paul McCartney's band, Wings. Dennis is still playing gigs in California. Also a number of band members went on to careers in music education.

For many years the band consisted of all men and was known as the Lehighton Men's Band.

This changed about 1980 when women were invited into the band and it started going under its official name, The Lehighton Band.