By Barbara Kelly

The Lawrence City Band....a Local Legacy.... Summer Concerts in the Park...1854 to 2000....Dots on either side of these dates indicate the concerts to be non-ending. The band did not suddenly appear, as by magic. The men must have been part of musical organizations before coming west. Their music was so important they brought their instruments with them into the new land and, as they played, brought enjoyment to the other residents. It is doubtful if the timing of the performances was well set but occurred when the musicians were available.

The warm weather found everyone relaxing together...the producers and the recipients of the music. If this was the beginning of the Summer Band Concerts in the Park, the year 2000 finds a more organized method of sharing the band music. The band members know when to rehearse, place of presentation and, through the local media, the public is informed and gather to listen to the end result. The music may be more learned and difficult, certainly not consisting of the hymn and folk tunes of the early days, but it is planned to do the same thing. It creates a spot for all to relax and share their lives in a totally different atmosphere. Lawrence, Kansas is Over the years, however, music has been so much a part of the lives of the people, they have grown accustomed to having the "Summer Band Concerts in the Park". It has caused the expertise of the musicians to become greater and be able to produce some of the best of all band music. At any rate, judging from the support for these concerts by people from all walks of life, there is every reason to believe "Summer Band Concerts in the Park" will indeed live through still another century.

The enclosed documentation fills in the ensuing years between 1854 and 2000, but the end result is the same: People learning to play an instrument, enjoying it to the extent it is never put away, gathering to share their musical expertise and, almost as an after thought, family, friends and lovers of band music coming to listen. Age, education, finances...all stratas of society gather to listen, and, yes, to relax.

History of the Band Page 2 >>>