Band to play in tribute to late members

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Band to play selections in tribute to two late members

The Stillwater Community Band will celebrate the lives of two late members of the band at its third concert of the summer series on Thursday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at the Stillwater Community Center Theater. 

Dale Croston and Wayne Galleher were important members of the band who were lost during the past year.  Dale was long time treasurer of the band and active throughout the community through the Boy Scouts, the OSU Alumni Band and through work with the National Band Service organizations Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.  

Croston loved the marches played by the Community Band so it is only fitting that the band performs the “Kappa Kappa Psi March” by Bohumil Makovsky, founder of the organization in 1919 and everyone’s favorite, the John Philip Sousa masterpiece, the “Stars and Stripes Forever.” 

Galleher was very active in public education his entire life, teaching middle school age students for over 30 years.  He

spent much of his time in the Stillwater Public School system and also enjoyed playing in Stillwater Jazz and the Community Band throughout his life.  

Galleher was a former member of the Navy, so the band will perform the “Navy Hymn.”  As a tribute to all his years in music education, the band will also present one of the standards of the band repertoire, the Gustav Holst Second Suite in F. 

Finally, as a fitting tribute to both men, the band will perform the powerful and beautiful “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” by Richard Wagner.

This is the 23rd season of summer band concerts led by music director Wayne Bovenschen. The concert is free and family friendly.  Come enjoy the air-conditioned Community Center for an entertaining evening of fun and music.  For more information, please visit stillwatercommunityband.org.