Kingsport Community Band performing at the Renaissance Center March 21
Art Nights/City Lights Presents The Kingsport Community Band
Sunday, March 21‚ 2:30 PM
Tickets Available 423-392-8416 or 423-392-8417
KINGSPORT – The Cultural Arts Division of the City of Kingsport is pleased to present the Kingsport Community Band on Sunday, March 21 at 2:30 PM at the Kingsport Renaissance Center Theatre.‚ Tickets are $5 general admission, with children under12 admitted free with parents and can be purchased by calling the Central Box Office at 423-392-8417 or on-line at www.KingsportARTS.org. ‚
 |
| KINGSPORT COMMUNITY BAND |
The Kingsport Community Band has a history that dates back to 1907, 10 years before the modern citys incorporation.
Known then as the Kingsport Concert Band, it was the only musical organization of its kind in the city. Formed by Guy E. Devault, the band eventually achieved a reputation for quality music making. After some starts and stops during the teens, the band was reorganized in 1920, and by 1927 was considered one of the best in the area.
The band ran into difficulty during the middle part of the century. It dissolved during World War II and it wasnt until 1980 that the Kingsport Community Band was formed under the direction of Jewel S. Tilson.
Reorganized at that time by Joseph Heller, owner of Josephs Musicenter, the band then boasted seven musicians who had played with the Kingsport Concert Band in the ‚¬30s.
The present-day band is made up of musicians from a variety of backgrounds ‚¬ both musical and professional. They range in age from mid-teens to 80s. Currently under the direction of Scot Fleming, the organization rehearses weekly at the Dobyns-Bennett music building. All players are welcome ‚¬ auditions are not required.
The band performs for a variety of functions, both indoor and outdoor. The mainstay of the Kingsport Community Band repertoire is a selection of concert marches, several by John Phillip Sousa and other well-known march composers. The band also plays arrangements of familiar melodies and folk songs, both old and new.
