Band Enjoys Busy Spring

The Concert Band of Cobourg had a busy spring with a number of small performances.

You may have caught the band performing the anthem at the NLL Firewolves game in Oshawa at the Tribute Communities Centre, or you may have spotted us at the welcoming of the Sri Lanka delegation where we had the honour of performing their national anthem. We also added some Oscar Award-type flair to the Town of Cobourg Civic Awards where we were amazed by the achievements of our local townspeople.

No matter where we go or what we are playing, we are proud to represent the Town of Cobourg. Pride of Performance!

Annual Summer Concert Series Starts on July 7th

Once again, the Concert Band of Cobourg will fill the summer air at Victoria Park with music, with its first concert of the Summer Series on Tuesday, July 7th.

We will once again grace the bandshell wearing our brand new summer concert uniforms, the red Sea Rig uniform as worn by the Royal Marines. Our members were much more comfortable playing in the high humidity with short sleeves rather than our heavy red tunics last summer.

Come join us on Tuesday nights in Victoria Park for the rest of July and August. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy an evening by the lake, listening to the band provide a wide variety of music, from marches to show tunes, traditional favourites and toe-tapping numbers. Concerts start at 7:30pm.

Your TV Northumberland will once again be recording our concerts to air throughout next winter and we thank them for providing everyone access to our music year-round.

If you miss our red tunics, we will be wearing them for the Town of Cobourg’s annual Canada Day parade on July 1st. Dress in red and white and show your Canadian spirit as we celebrate our great country!

Documentary Captures Essence of the Band

The Concert Band of Cobourg announced today, Tuesday, October 11th, 2022, the release of a short documentary on who the band is, where they came from, and why their future is still bright after 180 years. Check out the premiere on YouTube at 7pm, or watch any time afterwards at https://youtu.be/MTwLK_ZyrR4. Follow the excitement of the release on our Facebook page!

Subtitled Tradition, Duty, Honour and Family, the 15-minute film speaks about the history of the band and its evolution as well as what it has meant to Cobourg (Tradition), the relationship between the Town of Cobourg and the band (Duty), the role of ambassadors and the pride the band brings when performing (Honour), and the social aspects that make the band a place where musicians feel like they are part of the bigger whole (Family).

Much of the information on the early years of the band was taken from the book Journal of a Band by Robert Irvine, which was published in 2017.  The band is represented in old photographs and early footage, as well as more current recordings of band performances.  These were compiled over the summer by Producer Charlynne Jourard, who also wrote the narrative which is voiced by the band’s concert MC Diana Storen and Chris Devlin.  Directing and editing was done by Gregory Jourard, who recently graduated from Durham College in the Broadcasting – Radio and New Media program.

Director of Music Paul Storms is excited to release the movie for everyone to see.  “It is an amazing video that encompasses where our band came from, where it stands today and it’s potential for the future.  It explains how the band is a longstanding cornerstone of Cobourg.  We are very proud of the huge effort that went into producing this work.”

Welcome

Welcome to the homepage of the Concert Band of Cobourg, the Band of the Royal Marines Association Ontario. We are one of the oldest continuously operating community bands in Canada, having started in 1843. Please browse through our gallery, read more on our history as published in our book Journal of a Band, sample some of our recorded music, and explore our involvement in the community including our documentary on our Video page. From our weekly summer concerts in Victoria Park to our participation in Santa Claus and Canada Day parades, you’ll see why our motto is Pride of Performance.