by Ross W. Irwin, Guelph Historical Society, 1998
Reprinted with permission.

Brass bands have held a prominent place in the life of Guelph since 1845. The original bands of the last century tended to be small, with usually less than a dozen players. Their chief activity was leading parades and playing at town functions.

It was musicians from these groups who formed the nucleus for the new Guelph City Band which was founded on June 27, 1878 by prominent concerned citizens. They hired the famous Professor William Philp as Bandmaster. The band held its first rehearsal August 17, 1878. This band had about 30 members and a balanced instrumentation. Instruments were provided through the generosity of citizens.

Bands have always had three major expenses. These are: payment of an honorarium to the bandmaster, rent for rehearsal space, and the purchase of music. In 1878 the Guelph City Band was provided with an operating grant from the City to pay an honorarium to the bandmaster. Philp augmented this by leading the Dublin Methodist choir, teaching violin and other instruments to pupils and earning a commission on instruments he managed to sell.

Bands have always tried to get a free rehearsal space which meant frequent moves around the city. Guelph City Council has contributed a grant to the band since 1878 in recognition of the services the band contributes to the community. The grant is still used to fund the bandmaster's honorarium and rental of rehearsal space.

The Guelph Musical Society was formed in 1899 and the band became one part of this organization. The Society now raised the needed funds, and provided uniforms and instruments. The Guelph Musical Society (G.M.S.) Band continued in name to 1966.

By 1966 the form of band work had changed and the Society was represented within the band rather than the community. To be in vogue with other communities, and the style of music, the band changed its name to the Guelph Concert Band in 1968. Musicians were now expected to provide their own instruments.

The city required the GMS Band to perform a series of approved concerts on the several bandstands in the city. These were located in Trafalgar Square, at Jubilee Park (now the CNR station), at Lyons Park and Exhibition Park during the summer months. Today, only the Concert Shell at Riverside Park is used for the summer "Sunday Concerts in the Park" series.

Parades were an important part of band work for many years. The Guelph Concert Band has not appeared in a parade since the 1980's: the uniform is not appropriate for marching, members are not taught drill, and there are now very few street parades held in the city. Instead, the band has evolved into a concert symphonic band, bringing the entertainment of live band music to various venues including summer festivals, streetfests, music competitions, memorial occasions, and at various seniors' and nursing facilities during the Christmas season.

Concerts are the major exposure for the Guelph Concert Band. The type of music is variable and chosen to be suitable to the audience and the season. The band has a library of more than 2,000 titles, although many are dated and no longer suited for general use. But modern arrangements are continuously being added at a fervant pace!