Scout House Band Rebuilding In 2017
Preston Scout House Band will use 2017 as a rebuilding year, with a regular rehearsal and performance schedule to resume in January 2018. A rebuilding team will examine and implement various strategies to boost membership in several key areas.
Current Band members will continue to rehearse regularly in preparation for performances in street parades and concerts as the Silver Leaves ensemble and percussion accompaniment. Preston Scout House Cadets drum and bugle corps, Magic of Scout House competitive winter guard and Heritage Drill Team are also all continuing activity as usual.
Regular Silver Leaves weekly rehearsals are well underway to prepare for early season performances at a Buglers’ Hall of Fame concert in North Tonawanda, New York in early April and at the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) reunion in Binghamton, New York in early May. The Silver Leaves music book for 2017 includes Hallelujah, the popular Leonard Cohen song performed by more than 300 artists over the years, and such audience favorites as Sweet Caroline, Hooked On A Feeling and One Fine Morning, made famous by Canadian rock super group Lighthouse.
The Silver Leaves ensemble performance schedule has increased over 14 years of activity since first performing in December 2003 during Christmas celebrations at Galt Royal Canadian Legion Branch 121 and a Christmas Carol songfest in Galt market square. The Silver Leaves have performed regularly at the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) annual reunions since 2005. In 2016, the performance schedule included the Scout House Spring Awakening family concert, performances at the downtown Galt market square and Scout House Invitational Tattoo field show in Waterloo and participation with Magic guar in the Kitchener/Waterloo Oktoberfest Parade.
Magic of Scout House competitive winter guard picked up in January where it left off last season in North East Color Guard Circuit activity, taking first place in Orchard Park, New York following two undefeated seasons. The Magic schedule this season includes appearances in Batavia New York, Kitchener/Waterloo Ontario, Lancaster New York, Medina New York and the circuit championship weekend in Brockport New York the first week in April.
Preston Scout House Cadets drum and bugle corps is preparing for a season which will include about 20 performances from March through December, including Drumline Ontario contests, Scout House Spring Opening family concert, major parades in Mississauga, Burlington and other locations including Preston’s Canada Day July 1 parade, Warrior’s Day ceremonies at Preston Royal Canadian Legion Branch 126 in September and Santa Claus parades in seven different communities in November and December.
The Cadets have already established a new high mark in 2017 with the first member to be accepted by a Drum Corps International (DCI) corps for the summer tour. Drum line member Sienna Joyce will spend the summer with Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was offered a contract following Pioneer’s second audition camp held January 20 – 22. With no prior family background in drum corps activity, she joined the Cadets drum line as a bass drummer in January, 2013, switching to tenor drum in January 2014. She first saw a DCI Open Class contest in Troy, Michigan in July 2015 and a DCI World Class show in Buffalo, New York the following month.
The Scout House Heritage Guard, wearing the Band’s traditional uniform including knee socks, short black pants, short sleeved tunics, white gauntlets and black Aussie style hats is practicing weekly for its annual appearance at the GAS reunion in Binghamton. This year’s floor routine, presented in knees-high marching style with straight arms swinging to shoulder height, is a salute to the past featuring the music of the corps which founded the Great Alliance of Seniors organization.
Preston Scout House Band, Inc. is a non-profit corporation with registered charity status able to issue tax receipts to donors, incorporated under the Corporations Act of the Province of Ontario on November 29, 1956.
The multi-unit organization offers individuals of any age the opportunity to “Arrange the soundtrack of your life” in marching arts activities starting as young as age 8 and continuing throughout life. These units are:
*Preston Scout House Cadets drum and bugle corps for young men and women, Silver Award winners at the 2016 Drumline Ontario provincial championships;
*Preston Scout House Band for those over age 18, performing concerts, parades and field shows annually across southern Ontario and neighboring states;
*Silver Leaves brass ensemble and percussion accompaniment, which rehearses in the winter for appearances at drum corps and community events throughout the year;
*Magic of Scout House competitive winter guard, established in the fall of 2014 and undefeated in its first two seasons of North East Color Guard Circuit contests;
*Heritage Drill Team, with members wearing tight black shorts, knee socks, short sleeved burgundy tunics, white gauntlets and Aussie hats as in the 1950 and ‘60s.
For more information about Preston Scout House Band Inc. activities, contact telephone (519) 653-3376, email prestonscouthouseband [dot] adm [at] sympatico [dot] ca or visit the website at: scouthouseband.com
