Community band continues in 40th year

The Glacier Symphony may get much of the Valley's musical attention, but this year marks the 40th anniversary of one of the Flathead's best-loved traditions: The Flathead Community Band.

"It's the oldest organized instrumental ensemble in the Valley," said director Hank Handford, who took the baton in 2004 as the band's third director.

Flathead musical icon Don Lawrence, whom Handford called the "Dean of Flathead Valley Musicians" started the band in 1969 and directed until 1997.

Now, with about 45 musicians playing at any given performance, the community band plays a dozen or so dates a year, including its annual appearance at the Riverbend Concert Series in Bigfork on Sunday evening in Sliter Park.

Handford said the band "fills a niche" as a wind and percussion group able to travel to events and locations around the Valley, whereas the symphony has a set concert season and can be its own draw.

"The community band is mostly free of charge and we're fairly mobile," Handford said. "We're a traditional wind and percussion band in the John Phillip Sousa tradition."

The band hosts a spring concert and a Christmas show at the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell that always proves a popular draw. This year they also played in front of the Bigfork Inn at the Fourth of July Parade.

Handford, who is the band teacher at Kalispell Middle School, said the Bigfork concert this week will feature a wide variety of musical selections that will be a sort of "best of" from the band's tour around central Montana earlier this year.

To celebrate 40 years, the band traveled to Helena, Great Falls, Choteau, West Glacier and a few other towns over four days. The band's opening number was performed in the Capital Rotunda, with Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger taking the baton to direct. Later that day they performed on the capital lawn.

That "Front Range Tour" included lots of variety, according to Handford, so people in places unfamiliar with the Flathead Valley staple would get to listen to something for everyone.

As for the Sliter Park show, Handford promised "lots of marches."

"The band likes to play them and the audience likes to listen to them," he said.

For Handford, taking the director's spot was both an honor and a sacrifice, as he can't sit in the trombone section when he's leading the band from the front. He still plays with the Don Lawrence Orchestra and the Glacier Symphony, but Hanford said there's a certain rush to leading a group of talented musicians.

"It's quite a thrill to stand up in front and get that sound coming at you."

Though the band currently sits at about 45 performers at any given concert — high school students come and go, as do retirees — Handford said new musicians are always welcome to join. For more information on the band, contact Handford at newmembers@fvcband.org or 249-9835.