One of the region's oldest cultural organizations is celebrating its Centennial Year. The Buffalo Silver Band has been entertaining local audiences for 100-years. WBFO'S Eileen Buckley talked with some members of the brass band about their legacy.
Each Tuesday night the Buffalo Silver Band rehearses at the Anglican Church of St. Nicholas in West Seneca. It is where they create that unique sound of music.
The band was actually modeled after British style brass bands offering a very distinctive sound to our community.
We spoke three members of the band. David Myrow, Bass Trombone player, Michael Van Der Puy plays Cornet and is the historian of band, and Bill Cocca is band director.
"We use all conical bore instruments. We use Cornets, we use E Flat horns as opposed to French Horns we use Baritones and Euphoniums, a couple of different kinds of Tubas. Flugelhorn, I can't forget Flugelhorn. It should be about 23 people along with percussionists," said Cocca.
100-years ago the band formed. It was associated with a church on Austin Street in Buffalo and the First Hungarian Baptist Band first formed in 1912, later becoming the Buffalo Silver Band.
"For the first 65-years or so the band was actually associated with a church," said Van Der Puy.
"We are sometimes a band for hire," noted Cocca
Band members range in age from 22 to about 84 years of age. "We have a lot different people from the community who are members," said Myrow. "There are men and women in the band playing a variety of instruments. I think we extend ourselves also to the schools and the community."
The next performance of the Buffalo Silver Band is March 29 at the Churchill Memorial United Methodist Church in the town of Boston. In April the band performs in Toronto at the Hannaford at the Festival of Brass.