Origins
of The Red Deer Community Band Society
Though
Red Deer's "modern" community
band history goes back to 1966,
it was in 1968 that the City of
Red Deer established, through an
'Act of Council', the Red Deer
Community Band Society as a nonprofit
community organization. In 1969
the Red Deer Community Band Society
was incorporated and the present
day Monday Night Adult Band, initially
called the "Senior Band",
and the Royals, originally the “Junior
Band”, were born. The Society was
created to administer and support
Red Deer's Community Band program
to include "first class" concert
and marching adult and youth bands
for the purpose of promoting the
city of Red Deer while enhancing
the cultural climate of the City.
Throughout the Society’s history there have been six Band
Directors
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1966-1969
Vic
Wright
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1970-1972
Richard
Campion
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1991-2001
Keith
Mann
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Frank
Connell
Frank
was Musical Director and Bandmaster
of the Red Deer Community Band
Society which was started in
1968. He became Director of the
'Royals' Concert Band which consistently
received high marks at Music
Festivals. He reorganized the
'Junior' Concert Band as an intermediate
Marching Band in 1974 and became
it's Director. At the time it
included members from Red Deer
and Central Alberta from the
ages of 10 to 17.
The Royals first Marching assignment was in 1975. Mr. Connell
organized the first 'Royals' tour to Scotland in England
in 1976 where some 90 band members and several dozen chaperones
and band attendants make the first international tour.
Mr. Connell was of Scottish descent, well -loved, coming
to Red Deer via Shotts Lanarkshire and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
He had the distinction of being awarded the Silver Medallion
and was included in the International Who's Who in Music
in 1975.
He is still remembered as an inspiration to the many who
came through his bands.
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A.L.
Jigger Lee
Jigger
originally studied music in England
and during the World War played
with various bands there. On eventually
setting in Red Deer, he took over
the Royals in 1978 . He was active
as a musician throughout his life,
playing in various local small
bands as a trumpet player.
(The author played in several make-up bands with him on several
occasions, once at Octoberfest at the Red Deer Legion where
Jigger wore his lederhosen. There are few sights more endearing
than seeing Jigger, white
hair, white bushy mustache and wearing genuine lederhosen
(leather britches) during Octoberfest).
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Keith
Mann
Keith
joined the Royals in 1991 until
his untimely passing in 2001. He
was a music educator and organizer
and was the backbone of the Central
Alberta Band Music. His awards
and honourable mentions were many
and he was recognized by almost
every Marching Band Association
in the world.
His sudden passing was a major loss to Central Alberta. His
funeral was held in two churches via closed circuit television.
The Royals band dedicated to him their tour to the World
Competitions that year and returned with a Gold Medal Standing.
A display dedicated to his legacy is at the Red Deer College
Arts Centre, a facility he was instrumental in getting built.
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Director
- Rob Goring
Rob
Goring has been directing bands in
Canada for the past twenty-six years,
first as a school band teacher and
later as a community band director.
Bands under his direction have achieved
Gold Medals in Canada's national concert
band festival and one year were national
champions. Mr. Goring has directed
the Red Deer Community Band Society's
flagship community adult band for ten
years, leading them to repeat Gold
Medals in regional concert band festivals.
Rob became director of the Red Deer Royals in May 2001. He
and his staff led the group to a First Prize at the WAMSB World
Championships in Potsdam, Germany in July 2001. Rob is a middle
school principal and is presently a
college instructor in the teacher training department at Red
Deer College. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education
and a Master's degree in School Administration.
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