The Wallaceburg Concert Band – With conductor Dave Babbitt.
Please visit the Wallaceburg Concert Band website for more information, past and future events, and everything WCB related.
The WCB is proud to present their 2024 Spring Concert. This is a concert you will not want to miss, and most definitely be our best to date, with some of the best and different material we have ever presented! Mark you calendars now! We hope to see you there.
Did you miss our concert last Saturday? Good news…, we will be performing the same concert in Dresden, this coming Tuesday, December 12, 2023. Hope to see you there!
We hope you are going to come out and join us for this absolutely magical Christmas concert Saturday December 2, 2023!
One More Time ~ WCB Concert ~ October 1, 2023
Were you unable to make it out to the Wallaceburg Concert Band May 27, 2023 concert? No need to fret! Come on out to Brander Park on Sunday October 1, 2023. Bring your lawn chair, sit back and relax, and take in the sounds of the Wallaceburg Concert Band as they share much of the May concert music “One More Time,” with a few slight changes.
Nothing But Hits ~ WCB Concert ~ May 27, 2023
The Wallaceburg Concert Band is happy to announce their next upcoming concert, titled “Nothing But Hits.”
Conductor Dave Babbitt recently shared some details on the WCB Facebook page:
Since we returned after our Christmas Break, we’ve had our sights set on our Spring Concert. It has been a long, hard winter of rehearsals but things are really starting to whip into shape. Our long-time supporters will know that I don’t like tossing around superlatives just to get people to our concerts. Honesty is important to me as I want to earn your trust. You will also know that we attempt to outdo ourselves on each successive outing by raising the bar of our playing through both hard work, and the choice of increasingly better, more challenging arrangements. Having said all of that, I truly believe that THIS music will be our finest to-date, and you’ll want to reserve the date of Saturday, May 27th right now. Long-time supporters will also know that it is a personal policy not to reveal what we will be playing in order to maintain an element of surprise at each concert. I’m actually so excited about this concert that I’m going to breach my own rule and “spill the beans” on at least SOME of our upcoming offerings. For example…Can you name the top 3 grossing Broadway musicals of all-time? How about the “world’s favourite musical ” Les Misérables”? Then there was “The Phantom of the Opera” and it’s glorious music, and then the biggest box-office generator of all-time. ”The Lion King”! We are determined to turn younger people on to our music so if The Lion King and it’s catchy African rhythm’s doesn’t attract your kids and grandkids, how about music from ”Aladdin”, the late Robin Williams/Disney Masterpiece. We’re also going to present music from maybe the musical with the catchiest melodies of all-time, ”Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Our band anticipates rehearsing this score every week. We’re also going to do a mini-tribute to the late Andy Botai of WDSS fame by playing 3 classic arrangements that several of us played for him back in high school. One score will features the music of the recently passed Burt Bacharach, one will feature incredible music from Italian movies (you may not know them all by name, but you have heard them!) and one will feature the trumpet skills of Meighan Lung in a medley of old songs that I used to play. (Guaranteed that you will smile!) THEN…we’re going to feature a unique instrument that has been extremely rare in these parts for decades….the bassoon. We have been so fortunate to have bassoon player Fr. Chris Gillespie of the local Roman Catholic parish in our band for several years now, and I decided that it’s time to feature him and this unique instrument. Once again, you’ll smile and while I won’t reveal what the song is, old-timers will recognize it instantly. Topping it all off is a medley of hits by the supergroup consisting of Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid! Figured that one out yet? There are a couple other unique things that we’ll be presenting BUT there is only ONE opportunity to hear all of this music as we play all-new scores each outing…..then move on. If we attract the same crowd we had at the Chatham Capitol Theatre back in December, you will be competing for a seat and many will surely miss-out, but you can reserve the date right now!
2022-2023
Read about how the WCB was birthed and how it grew, in Dave’s recent column in the Wallaceburg Courier Press
We are so very excited! It seems like since the return, we have been busier than ever. Make sure to visit our WCB website to stay on top of all of our concerts and events! Please meet our current senior band members:
2022
We’re back!
With our regular members shaking off the rust after a two year hiatus, we are enjoying getting back to rehearsals, and working toward upcoming concerts.
We are also very excited about restarting our Learn-to-Play program, as well as starting a brand new Return-to-Play program this fall. Planning is already underway, as there is lots to prepare for these programs.
If you are interested in joining the Wallaceburg Concert Band this fall, and would like to learn more about our different programs, please join us for an information session Wednesday April 27, 2022.
Read Dave’s recent column in the Courier Press for more information, our visit our WCB website.
2020 – 2021
With rehearsals currently on a hiatus due to the pandemic, we apologize that all concerts and events for the WCB are currently on hold.
Stay tuned for an updated list of upcoming concerts and events!
Please enjoy this special little video in the meantime:
2019-2020
The Wallaceburg Concert Band is a local success story with few equals. Barely three-years old, the band has already firmly entrenched itself into the cultural fabric of the community and has begun spreading its wings beyond our local borders.
Born out of the termination of the long-established Music Programme at WDSS, organizers recognized a need, and jumped on the opportunity to re-establish a community band, the likes of which had vanished decades ago. The band found a willing partner in the Wallaceburg Arts Council, the call went out to find musicians, and the call was answered resoundingly!
In addition to many local members, the group has also attracted members from Chatham, Sarnia, London, Windsor, Rodney, Blenheim and parts between making it the largest band in the region.
In recognizing the need to establish a feeder-system to ensure long-term stability, the group has also established a free learn-to-play program for beginners.
The band has won over huge public support and has helped raise in excess of $100,000 in its short lifetime, enabling the group to purchase the much-needed, expensive instruments and supplies that have helped propel it forward.
Concentrating on establishing music excellence first, public concerts to date have been limited in number but will no-doubt increase in the coming years.
Far more than just a band, the group has also become engaged in other areas of the community including the local Dragon Boat races where last year, the team was presented with the Spirit Award for their musical, boisterous and positive presence. Look for many great things to happen in future as the group reaches into the community even further.