The
Grande Prairie Marching Band performs annually as "Musical
Ambassadors" for Grande Prairie and Region. The band,
sponsored by the City of Grande Prairie, is truly a community
band; membership ranges in age from 13 to 60 and comes
from all walks of life.
The
Grande Prairie Marching Band is active in the months of
March through August and performs both in concert and
on parade. In concert the band performs twenty to thirty
minutes of music of varied musical styles ranging from
the "pops" to "classics" and of course includes a selection
of "marches". On parade, sound is delivered in a smart
military fashion.
Grande Prairie,
Alberta is a city of 40,000 located in North/Central Alberta
some 300 miles North and West of Edmonton, Alberta. Principally
an agricultural community, Grande Prairie is the business
and cultural center of the Peace Region and the nesting
ground for the Trumpeter Swan. Grande Prairie was proud
to host the 1995 Canada Winter Games and the 2000 Alberta
Summer Games.
The
Grande Prairie Marching Band tours annually each summer
and has in the past performed at: Edmonton Klondike Days,
Southern Alberta Fairs in Medicine Hat/Lethbridge, Kelowna,
Expo '86, The Yukon, Montana, and Vancouver Island. Recent
tours have included Alaska in 1993 and the Canadian Maritimes
in 1995. The band won "Best In Class" at the World Marching
Band Competition during the Calgary Stampede in 1996 and
performed as the Official North American Band at the 1998
Australian Marching Band Festival. The band received a
"bronze" award at the 2000 WAMSB championships
held in Calgary, Alberta and at the 2001 WAMSB championships
held in Potsdam, Germany.
In 2003, the Band recieved a "silver" award
at the WAMSB championship held in Monza, Italy.
The Grande Prairie Marching Band
has been a part of the history of the city dating back
to the early 20's. The Band in its present form was re-established
under the baton of the current band director, Mike Townsend,
in 1972. The band is available for parade/concert from
March to September each year. In addition the band can
provide from its membership a Dixieland/Jazz Band and
a German Styled Oomph Pah Band.
In
the "Summer of 2003" the Grande Prairie Marching
Band was actively promoting the City of Grande Prairie,
Province of Alberta, and Canada while on tour in Italy
and GErmany. In addition to the performances within the
Peace Region of Alberta, Canada, the Band competed in
the 2003 World Association of Marching Showbands Competition
held in MOnza, Italy. The Band was also featured at the
Festival of Music held in Rheinhausen, Germany.
Phone: (780)513-7219 Fax:
(780)532-6036
P.O. Box 21179, Grande Prairie, AB. T8V 6W7
