The Boyertown Alumni Marching Band will hold its 38th annual spring concert on Saturday, April 26, at 7 p.m. at Boyertown Junior High West in the Donald J. Kuszyk Auditorium.
The band will continue with its tradition of recognizing accomplished individuals or organizations in the Boyertown area. This year, the band will be honoring the Pottstown Band for their years of service and dedication to the community.
The Pottstown Band formed in 1904 and gained popularity playing for events at Ringing Rocks Park and marching in firemen’s parades. By the 1920’s, the band had also acquired the reputation of a distinguished concert band. The Pottstown Band spent the next seventy years refining their sound, procuring an extensive music collection, and bringing joy to the Pottstown area.
The Boyertown Alumni Marching Band (BAMU) will be honoring the Pottstown Band this year by performing music from the Pottstown Band library and inviting former members to attend and join in.
BAMU Captain, Dennis Weller, said he was excited to hear about this year’s tribute. Weller is a Boyertown graduate and has lived in Boyertown most of his life. He joined the BAMU in 1994 and has been the Director since 1998.
‘I am excited that the [BAMU] is able to honor an organization that brought enjoyment to so many people in the area for so many years,’ said Weller.
According to Weller, after the Pottstown Band disbanded in the early 1990’s, the BAMU was given the band’s music library and will be pulling from that for this year’s spring concert.
‘All of the songs from the second half of the concert will be from the Pottstown Band music library, which consists of about five filing cabinets full of music,’ said Weller.
The BAMU will be playing fan favorites in the second half including the Pottstown Band theme song, Semper Fidelis, Toccata for Band, and popular audience-participation song, On the Mall.
As Director, Weller is grateful and excited to lead the BAMU through this year’s memorable tribute.
‘I enjoy the opportunity to direct a group of such dedicated and talented musicians who were taught so well by the outstanding music educators of the Boyertown Area School District and who only seem to be getting better over the years,’ said Weller.
Tickets for The Boyertown Alumni Marching Band’s 38th Annual Spring Concert: ‘A Salute to the Pottstown Band’, are available now and can be purchased at Crown Card and Candy Shoppe, 183 Holly Road, Gilbertsville. They will also be available at the door. For more information on the group, visit bamu.webs.com.
