Community Bands in Manitoba

Community bands have been a part of Manitoba's heritage for more than a century. The MBA supports community bands with recruitment and assists in organizing and publizing community band events. The MBA sponsors two community band festivals - an annual event in June at The Forks (report below) and an April festival in Pinawa every second year (report below). An annual Community Band Workshop is also offered in Roland.

Opportunities are available throughout the province for all who play brass, woodwind or percussion instruments. You are invited to join one or more of these community bands.

Community Band Festival Report (The Forks, Winnipeg)

8 bands, 200 musicians and two great afternoons....

The annual community band festival at The Forks in Winnipeg was held on June 5-6, 2010.   The Saturday afternoon schedule included the Northwinds Community Band, Westwood Community Band, Eastman Community Band and the Millenium Community Band. Sunday afternoon  featured performances by the Assiniboia Community Band, Rupertsland Brass Band, Ft. Rouge 252 Concert Band, and German Club Band. All week the weather forecast was not good but it turned out to be two pleasant days that remained dry.  Crowds at The Forks were entertained by a variety of music, including the British brass band tradition and German Oktoberfest styles. Selected members of the audience were handed the baton as guest conductor. The bands did not miss a beat. Records are lost in the mists of time but it is widely believed that this band festival at The Forks has been going for almost twenty years.  It is a great opportunity for the bands to wrap up their season at Winnipeg's meeting place and entertain the crowds of visitors.  ... submitted by Doug Davidson


Community Band Festival Report (Pinawa)

The 18th provincial Community Band Festival was held in Pinawa on Sunday April 26, 2009.  The featured bands included the Northwinds Community Concert Band, the Assiniboia Community Band, the Westwood Community Band, the Regimen­tal Band of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and the local Eastman Community Band.  They played to an enthusiastic audience of over 110 adults and numerous students, which, when combined with all the musicians, made for a packed auditorium.  The concert finale, conducted by David Heilmann, a mass band performance of Puszta (Four Gypsy Dances) by Jan Van der Roost, was electrifying. The complete program included:

Northwinds Community Concert Band .......................Michael Scholfield
Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna – Franz von Suppe, arr. H. Fillmore
A Cowboy Symphony – Pierre la Plante

Eastman Community Band ………………………………Peter Hayward
La Bella Cubana – Jose Silvetre White, arranged by D. Westdal
Puttin’ on the Ritz – Irving Berlin, arr. M. Saurer & N. Tailor

Assiniboia Community Band ………………...………………..…Bob Hall
Chicago – arranged by Ted Ricketts/Murray Riddell
Little English Girl – D. Delle Cese

Westwood Community Band …………………………….David Heilmann
Theme from Lawrence of Arabia - Maurice Jarre
A Circus Suite – Stuart Johnson

Regimental Band of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles ………....  Martha Clyde
Ye Banks and Braes O’Bonnie Doon – Percy Grainger
Olympic Fanfare and Theme – John William, arranged by James Curnow

Mass Band Finale ………………………………..  David Heilmann
Puszta (Four Gypsy Dances) – Jan Van der Roost