HUB Marches Through Time

This past weekend, over 200 Harvard University Band alums flocked to campus to celebrate its 90th anniversary, trumpets and French horns in hand. The weekend’s festivities, meant to recreate for grads the unique social and musical experience of being in the Band, included a number of events, such as the annual montage concert on Friday night in Sanders Theatre, the halftime show at the Saturday afternoon football game against Dartmouth, a post-game concert at Dillon Field House, and a special Sunday brunch in the band room.

When alums return for the Reunion Weekend, they don’t just sit on the sidelines—they often suit up and play alongside current members. “Some alums will watch the game from the stands, but about 150 chose to play with us,” notes Drill Master Bradley E. Oppenheimer ’10.

With so many alums returning to both watch and play in band events, it’s a wonder how they all have instruments. “Many alums bring their own instruments,” explains Oppenheimer, “but for large instruments like the tuba or sousaphone, we contact area schools and ask to borrow them. For instance, this year, we borrowed instruments from the band departments at both MIT and [local high school] Cambridge Rindge and Latin. We have a good relationship with them, and borrow from them, just as we’d let them borrow from us.”

Band reunions, which take place every five years, always coincide with the annual Montage Concert, a centerpiece of the University Band and the subsidiary Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band. This year, the montage concert featured the Harvard Medley, a special arrangement of Harvard songs that was created by former Band Director and famous composer Leroy Anderson, the man behind the memorable holiday tune “Sleigh Ride.” The medley included such favorites as “Harvardiana,” “10,000 Men of Harvard,” and “Up the Street.”

The show also featured Dartmouth’s own musical medley, and a world premiere of a wind orchestra setting of the classic jazz song, “I Remember Clifford,” written by saxophonist Benny Golson. Thomas Everett, the Director of Band since 1971, was commissioned to arrange the Golson piece for a wind chamber group ensemble, and chose the occasion of the Montage concert to debut the piece.

The Harvard University Band is not only one of the largest student organizations on campus, but it is also one of the most tightly knit. “People have said that the Band is a social group first, and a musical group second,” Oppenheimer says. “That’s not to undermine the musical quality of what we do—it’s just to show how close the friendships are within Band.”

To illustrate this point, Oppenheimer tells an anecdote about one of band’s more dedicated alums. “We have one alum who graduated in the 1950s, and he has come to at least one football game per season for every year since”. As a much younger, contemporary band member, Anne S. Calkins ’10 agrees. “I love the community created from band,” Calkins says. “I knew I was joining Band before I even got to Harvard. I looked on their Web site and read their shows, and I thought this was going to be a great group to be a part of.”

Alums provide even more than social and moral support at games; they are also an important source of funding for the Band. According to Band Manager Alexander J. Ahmed ’10, “There is an alumni group called The Band Foundation, which funds some band activities. Every semester, we make financial requests and they decide whether or not they want to grant them,” he says. “For instance, this semester we asked for two new sousaphones and new speakers for the band room. Sometimes, directors will also ask for commissions for pieces for the Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble.”

With its blend of humor, musicality, and longstanding tradition, the Harvard University Band clearly holds a special place in the hearts of many. As the words of Prop Crew Manager William D. Ramsey ’12 well summarize: “I love Band because it is spontaneous, fun-loving and tradition-filled, without ever losing sight of the quality of the music.”