Community News
DCB’S free celebratory concert will be held on Saturday, June 22 at 7:00 pm in Dexter’s Gazebo located in Monument Park at the intersection of Ann Arbor Dexter Road and Central Street.
Come and enjoy an outdoor concert featuring many band favorites; National Emblem, Liberty Bell and of course everyone’s favorite John Phillip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes. The Dexter Community Band March composed for the band by Max Planck will be performed. The concert will also include music of Gershwin, Disney and the movies.
Soprano Fiona Linn will perform Gershwin’s Tribute to Love, But Not For Me and God Bless the U.S.A. Fiona is a native of Adelaide, Australia where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance.
A band in Dexter is not a new phenomenon, for much of the past 200 years there has been a Dexter Band. The Wygant Martial Band was one of the earliest bands. The Dexter Coronet band performed in the 1870’s. In 1878 – 1921 there was a two story bandstand built by B.B. Williams for the purpose of band concerts. (The Gazebo we now use was built by Dexter Lions Club in 1985.). In 1888, Benjamin Becker lead the Dexter Band and this band was later called Becker’s Band. The Dexter High School Band was formed in 1941 under the supervision of William D. Revelli and presented their first concert at Copeland Auditorium (now the Encore Theater) in the spring of 1941. (More information regarding Dexter’s band history can be found at the Dexter Area Historical Society Museum.)
The present Dexter Community Band has just completed their 42nd season. The band is directed by William W. Gourley who is the second director of the band. Dr. Dave Angus was the first director. Stephen West is the band’s announcer.
Founded in 1982, the present Dexter Community Band is comprised of volunteer musicians from the local area. A registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the band performs professional-level symphonic wind music at four free concerts a year.
For additional information about the band visit: http://www.dextercommunityuband.org/.
