Holmes Bicentennial celebration recreates sounds of 1939
Members of American Legion Post #192 stand at attention during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the entrancing performance of American Musical Productions’ replaying of the Aug. 12, 1939 performance of Willie Green Band in Millersburg.
American Musical Productions’ performance celebrating Holmes County’s bicentennial was supposed to take place in the Timothy Baker Amphitheater the afternoon of Sunday, June 8.
Instead, rain — which also pushed the initial bicentennial celebration last June indoors — reared its head again and forced organizers to move the event inside to the Millersburg Elementary School gymnasium.
Regardless, the performance thrilled those in attendance and put an exclamation point on a bicentennial celebration that has lasted a whole year.
“The weather got me in; the weather got me out,” said Melissa Patrick, bicentennial board chair. “But what a fantastic performance this was and what a way to wrap up our yearlong celebration. The band was phenomenal.”
When it comes to recreating historical bands, American Musical Productions Director Joseph N. Rubin goes above and beyond in making sure every piece of a concert is as authentic and real to the era of music in which the band is dedicating a program as possible.
During the Holmes County bicentennial celebration performance, Rubin did his homework, and everything from the dark-blue uniforms to the buttons, the instruments and even the wooden chairs that would have been used back in the days of Willie Green Band’s performances in Historic Downtown Millersburg back in 1939 were exact replicas.
“What an incredibly inspirational performance,” Patrick said.
The concert featured select numbers like “Echoes of the Metropolitan Opera House” and “Darktown Strutter’s Ball” to the grand finale, rousing performances of Sousa’s popular “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Performing the dozen songs included a group of professionals who hit every note with their respective instruments including piccolo, flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, cornet, horn, trombone, tuba, drums, cymbals and even an old-fashioned euphonium.
The rousing performance brought listeners to their feet more than once, eliciting plenty of memories for people old enough to remember when this type of band music was inspiring citizens of small towns around the nation.
Holmes County has a rich history of concert bands, and Patrick wanted to recreate the sound that used to thrill locals.
“I think recreating the performance of the Willie Green Band down to the tee is such a neat concept,” Patrick said. “It really brings back a piece of Holmes County’s history in a fun and exciting way.”
The earliest performances came courtesy of the Millersburg Cornet Band, considered to be one of the top such bands in Ohio. That band dates back to the 1860s and continued into the end of the century.
In the early 1900s, the popular I.O.O.F. Band stepped in, and after a lengthy time off, the Cornet Band returned in 1913, with the bands providing open-air concerts that brought people from near and far.
In 1918 the Holmes County Concert Band was formed, its first concert in Killbuck drawing close to 1,500 people. Later, Director J.S. Johnson led evening concerts featuring the Chamber of Commerce Band.
In 1917 the Willie Green Band was founded in Mt. Vernon, the band later moving to its new base in Millersburg in 1920. By 1932 it had five members from seven different counties, performing countless concerts. The band played into the 1950s before disbanding, and this concert was devoted to a program originally presented Aug. 12, 1939.
The historical production is something Rubin takes great pride in emulating, enjoying the challenges and opportunity to recreate great concert bands from the past.
“It’s very important for us to be very authentic in every way possible,” Rubin said. “There are great concert bands all over the place, but to be able to play the exact program they played in 1939, in uniform, with everything the way they had it back then is truly unique. This is an audio journey back in time, and that’s what is special to me.”
Prior to the grand finale, Patrick introduced Millersburg Mayor Kelly Hoffee, Holmes County Commissioner Dave Hall and Holmes County Historical Society Director Mark Boley to present the detailed memorabilia they placed in their respective time capsules, slated to be reopened in 50 years.
If anyone would like to hear the performance, it is available on WKLM YouTube.