A prominent feature of nineteenth-century musical Americana is the concert band, and The Allentown Band has, for almost two hundred years, kept that tradition alive. Drawn from within a fifty-mile radius of the Lehigh Valley, the band’s musicians, as different as their backgrounds may be, share one common goal: to create and preserve concert band music at a level of excellence rarely heard from a community band.
Performing with The Allentown Band is by invitation from the director, often on recommendation of existing band members. I was fortunate to be invited to rehearsal by Scott Cragle, clarinet, and Val Zanchuk, trumpet.
I started attending rehearsals at the old Franklin Firehouse in 1984, and started performing with the band in 1985, usually on clarinet. Ron Demkee, who has conducted the band since 1977, always has challenged the band with outstanding repertoire, and this has inspired me to raise my own level of performance constantly. I'm very grateful to Ron for the many opportunities that he develops. Also, I've been able to contribute when needed by moving supporting the saxophone section when needed, playing alto or soprano saxophone.
Since 2007, I have maintained the band's website at www.allentownband.com
October 4, 2020 Americans We
Well, 2020 has been a very different sort of concert season. The Allentown Band performed just twice, on the lawn at the home of band booster Joan Moran, for invitation-only, socially distanced audiences. The band spread out, too.
The band's annual concert honoring veterans was held October 4th. I'm usually behind the camera. Lennie Steinmetz snapped the top photo for me. I do occasional selfies, too.
2019 Carnegie Hall
The Allentown Band has been honored three times in recent years to perform the Showcase Concert at an international concert band and orchestra festival held annually at Carnegie Hall in New York City. I have been privileged to perform in each of these concerts. At the most recent, I not only played clarinet, but doubled on alto saxophone for Johan de Meij's "Pennsylvania Faux Songs" which was conducted by the composer.
