Opinion: We had no idea what the future held when the Quincy Concert Band started 40 years ago

Congratulations to the Quincy Concert Band that will achieve 40 years of providing musical entertainment to the residents of the Quincy area with its free concert on Sunday.

We had no idea what the future held when we started what we then called the Quincy Community Band.  In late 1981, the Gem City (Breakfast) Kiwanis Club established a steering committee consisting of Bob Hagemann, Jay Shade, Gus Rieckhoff and myself as chair, to make the concept of a community concert band a reality.

Rieckhoff was the driving force behind creation of the band and obtained the services of Paul Duker to serve as the first conductor.

We held our first concert on Tuesday evening, April 20, 1982, in the Morrison Theater of Quincy Junior High School, where the band continues to perform today.

There were 53 charter members in the band, some of whom continue to perform today.  Our second concert was on May 8, 1982, in Washington Park as part of the Dogwood Festival.

The objectives, then and now, are to provide a lifelong opportunity for volunteer adult musicians to continue to use and enjoy their musical skills while providing a community service.  It strives to nurture a lifelong love of music by all, audience and musicians alike, and provide an additional dimension to the Quincy music scene. 

Congratulations to everyone who has participated in and helped make the Quincy Concert Band an award winning and nationally recognized success during its first 40 years.

Paul Brown
2614 Kings Pointe
Quincy, Ill., 62305