Members of the 1st Brigade Band (left) and the Newberry Band (Steve Lundahl, right) with their rare Schreiber Eb bass (left) and Bb baritone (right) horns. Both instruments date to the 1870s. (Photo by Mike O'Connor)
A large crowd gathered by the Cannon River in the center of Northfield, Minnesota to witness a popular attraction at the 2010 Vintage Band Festival (VBF): The Battle of the Bands. Staged at high noon on Saturday, August 7, 2010, the two participating bands, the 1st Brigade Band of Wisconsinand Newberry’s Victorian Cornet Band, set up on opposite banks of the river and took turns performing. Described by VBF Director Paul Niemisto as “more of a conversation than a battle,” the history behind the event is described in an interesting article by Rob Hardy on Northfield.org. When the 30-minute “battle” was over all of the band members convened on the main bridge across the river to shake hands and then we all shared a nice lunch together sponsored by the festival.
Thanks to the generosity of Northfield resident Carl Behr, I was able to create a brief video of the event to post here. Thanks for sharing your footage and for all of your wonderful photos, Carl!
UPDATE (8/18/10)
Through the courtesy of Northfield resident Dan Bergeson, here is another video from the Battle of the Bands. Shot from across the river, it shows the Newberry Band performing the rousing Finale from Act II of Verdi’s Atilla arranged by J. B. Claus. In addition to filming the band, Dan did a great job of showing the crowd along the river, and you really get a sense of how windy it was that day. Thanks, Dan!
Elisa Koehler is Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Formerly the Director of the Center for Dance, Music, and Theatre at Goucher College and the Music Director and Conductor of the Frederick Symphony Orchestra, she is a professional conductor, trumpeter, and author. Dr. Koehler has performed on both modern and period instruments with the Bach Sinfonia, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Washington Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, Baltimore’s Bach Concert Series, and as the leader of Newberry's Victorian Cornet Band. Her publications include two books: Fanfares and Finesse: A Performer’s Guide to Trumpet History and Literature (Indiana University Press) and A Dictionary for the Modern Trumpet Player (Rowman & Littlefield), numerous articles on historic brass for the ITG Journal, and new performing editions of the Haydn and Hummel trumpet concerti for Carl Fischer Music. She was named a Distinguished Alumna by the University of Tennessee in 2009 and elected to the Board of Directors of the International Trumpet Guild in 2017. In 2014 Dr. Koehler received Goucher College's highest faculty honor, the Caroline Doebler Bruckerl Award, which recognizes an exemplary faculty member in the areas of scholarship, teaching, and service. She earned a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the Peabody Conservatory, a master’s degree in trumpet performance from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and bachelor’s degrees in both music education and performance from Peabody.
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2 thoughts on “Battle of the Bands”
We love your group and are coveting those gorgeous low brass instruments, Elisa!!
Elisa Koehler 
We love your group and are coveting those gorgeous low brass instruments, Elisa!!