After 149 summers of delighting audiences from down-Island bandstands and stages, the Vineyard Haven Band will perform on street level for its first-ever winter concert Dec. 16 at 1 p.m.
Musicians and audience members alike will have to dress warmly for this holiday performance, taking place outside Bobby B’s and Bernie’s on Main street in Vineyard Haven.
“We selected that location because it’s right in the heart of Vineyard Haven,” said keyboardist Jeri Larson, publicity chairman for the band’s 150th anniversary celebration.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Ms. Larson said, referring to when she put out the call seeking musicians willing to play Christmas and Hanukkah tunes outside in the cold.
As of Wednesday, more than 20 people had committed to perform and there could be as many as 25, she told the Gazette. “It really caught on.”
Founded in 1868 by 18 Civil War veterans from both the Union and Confederate armies, the Vineyard Haven Band is the Island’s oldest continuously operating arts organization. It is also one of the three oldest bands in the United States that have performed regularly since they were founded, Ms. Larson said.
Saturday’s concert is an informal kickoff to the intergenerational band’s 150th season in 2018. It’s also part of a campaign to recruit more members, especially young musicians in high school.
“It’s open to any musician, young or old, who would like to join us,” Ms. Larson said. “The arrangements are simple and they are familiar holiday tunes.”
A recent grant from the Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard is helping Ms. Larson to get the word out about Saturday’s concert and next year’s sesquicentennial, but the all-volunteer band remains on a lean operating budget.
“What I wish is that we had some patio heaters,” she said wistfully.
In summertime, the Vineyard Haven Band plays bandstand concerts every Sunday night, alternating between Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs and Owen Park in Vineyard Haven. The group also performs at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown on the Fourth of July, the Oak Bluffs Tabernacle on Illumination Night and Ocean Park before the Oak Bluffs fireworks in August.
Summer rehearsals are Monday nights at Sailing Camp Park. Ms. Larson said that in 2018 the group is also planning a special anniversary concert for a yet-to-be-determined date in August.
The Dec. 16 concert will be followed by a reception at the Mansion House with hot cider and light refreshments for both musicians and listeners.
“Maybe we’ll start a new tradition,” Ms. Larson said.
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