Lakeshore Concert Band marks 40th

BY HOLLIE WATSON

Four decades have passed since a fledgling musical ensemble made its debut at Expo ‘67, setting in motion a tradition that has spanned a generation. Now a mainstay of the West Island music scene, the Lakeshore Concert Band is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The band’s storied history is punctuated by a series of wins at prestigious competitions at home and abroad, Keith Field said.

“I joined in ‘68; I’m the longest surviving continuous member,” said the Pointe Claire resident, who plays saxophone (baritone) and was president for many years.

“Highlights early on include taking part annually through the Seventies in a major competition at the CNE in Toronto, where we won in the Canadian championship and international sections. We also took first place several times at the Festival des Harmonies in Sherbrooke.”

He also participated in later festivals in Holland and Spain, as well as a tour of England and Scotland about 10 years ago.

“There was also a silver medal we won in Norway in ‘91, where I remember having snowball fights in the mountains and reading the newspaper by the midnight sun,” recalled Field, who is also a member of the Lakeshore Saxophone Quartet along with his wife Leslie, who also plays with the LCB.

“In fact, we met in the band and will be marking our 30th wedding anniversary this summer.”

The 40-member band originated as an adult-education course at Lindsay Place High School, which it soon outgrew to become an independent

band with a reputation for the calibre of its highly polished performances. Under the direction of its gifted conductor, Mark Dharmaratnam, it maintains a busy concert schedule, frequently performing for charitable causes, ranging from recent benefits for the West Island Association for the Intellectually Handicapped and the organ fund at Summerlea United Church in Lachine.

“The greatest thing about music in this form is the feeling of community; it’s the collective sound that counts. And we’ve always had high musical standards and great directors,” said saxophone player (tenor) Hershel Bernstein, a member since 1980.

“As for our repertoire, we do everything from serious pieces by composers like Shostakovich, to jazz standards, to Broadway,” said the Beaconsfield resident and long-time dentist. Bernstein also plays with the Generation Jazz Band, with whom Lakeshore will stage a joint benefit concert May 10 for Literacy Unlimited.

At the LCB’s annual spring gala concert this Saturday, the eclectic program will include a romantic work by Schubert, a piece by Holzt, movements from the Harry James Orchestra, excerpts from the musical Chicago, and more. On June 19, members will perform at a picnic and co-celebration marking Dorval Library’s own 40th anniversary. They will also return to Fritz Farm in Baie d’Urfé in July as part of the summer bandstand series, and will play outdoor concerts in Dorval and elsewhere.

Saturday’s gala concert will be held at

St. Joachim Church, 2 Ste. Anne St. in Pointe Claire Village at 8 p.m. Tickets will

be sold at the door, or call 514-428-0636. For more information, Google: lakeshore

concert band.?