Augustana College’s rich music history began with the Augustana Symphonic Band (ASB) in 1874. Since then, ASB’s culture has evolved, but the spirit of the music that unites them remains the same. ASB members past and present will rekindle that spirit this weekend as they celebrate ASB’s historic sesquicentennial anniversary. The 150th celebration will include a weekend of concerts, an alum recital, panels, dinners and informational sessions, reuniting and connecting band members past and present.
To celebrate its history, over 200 alumni, family and friends of ASB from all over the country will return to campus. The band will conclude the weekend with a concert, complete with styles of music to commemorate the band’s history and culminating with a brand-new piece by Kevin Walczyk, commissioned especially for ASB. All public events are open and free to the Augustana and Quad City community.
Dr. James Lambrecht, the conductor of the Symphonic Band, has led the band for 36 years and will conduct the band this weekend in the sesquicentennial concert. When Lambrecht arrived at Augustana in 1988, he recognized the 150th anniversary was approaching and promised his students that there would be a celebration.
“If you’re going to be a member of that kind of an ensemble at a place like Augustana, you need to understand what came before, what was its history, how you fit into that and how you’re continuing those traditions,” Lambrecht said.
Lambrecht said planning for this weekend began years ago when a committee of ASB alumni from the 1990s formed to plan the celebration. Lambrecht played a critical role by crafting the concert program to honor ASB’s history.
“The first half of the concert showcases what I call ‘the band of old’ because the band literature is the kinds of things that used to be played and what it would sound like,” Lambrecht said. “The second half of the ASB part of the program is all new music. It’s all brand new composers written within the last two years, including the commission piece, which is hot off the press as we speak.”
Current ASB students are also eager for the celebration. Senior Santiago Miranda, a fourth-year member of ASB, looks forward to seeing recent alums and hearing them play in the alum recital.
“If my four years were a fraction of what these other people’s four years were like in ASB, I can understand why they come back,” Miranda said. “This is like a family. It sounds corny, I know, but I feel seen here. I have a place here.”
Sophomore Kevin Flannery, a second-year member of ASB, grew up attending ASB concerts as his two older siblings played in the band before him. This weekend, Flannery said he looks forward to connecting with all band alums and learning more about the band’s history.
“I’m just excited to get to know people who were in it 10 years ago,” Flannery said. “I want to know what it was like and if [ASB] was the same sort of community.”
The band’s history is one of a kind. Located in Paxton, Illinois, Augustana College’s first campus was founded in 1860. Shortly after, students saw a need for a band program and founded Augustana’s first band program in October of 1874, first playing in Augustana’s 15th commencement ceremony in 1875. Today, this group is known as the Augustana Symphonic Band.
In 1917, the band enlisted in World War I as a unit and toured France, playing concerts and ceremonies, seeing action and fighting as a group. Lambrecht said he had never heard of another band enlisting like the ASB did.
In 1928, the band was one of the first collegiate bands to tour Europe. Today, the ASB continues to tour and travel the world together, visiting places like England, Scotland, Spain, Washington, Florida and, more recently, Japan. This year, ASB will visit the East Coast.
Lambrecht said he hopes this alum reunion will be the first of many for ASB. He explained the challenges of reuniting an alum band to play a concert, as many alums may lose their playing skills after college.
“Alumni have always wanted to get together, but it’s a little trickier for a wind ensemble, band or an orchestra to do this because there’s so many more logistics with equipment,” Lambrecht said. “I think this can happen, and we hope it will continue.”
