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鈥淣orth Battleford has had a band of its own since pioneer days, but it took the late Robbie Robinson to turn the band into a youth organization and set the foundation for it to become known all across Canada.鈥�
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These were the words of introduction from MC Ken Holliday Sunday, Dec. 7 at a concert celebrating the 65th anniversary of the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band.听
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Holliday, who has served as president of the band association for numerous years, said Robinson became the bandmaster of the Sea Cadet Band in the late 1930s, and a front page article in the local newspaper dated July 21, 1949 tells of the band performing in the Saskatoon Travellers Day parade under their new banner, the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band.
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The concert at the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts Sunday was entitled 65 Years of Music and Mayhem, performed by the North Battleford City Kinsmen Concert Band and directed by Jackie Kroczynski.
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Over its 65 year history, NBCKB has accumulated numerous prizes and awards, particularly from its marching band days, and, in some cases, has seen up to three generations of musicians pass through its ranks. In two cases, there are original members of the band still playing, Wayne Jenner and Garnet Speer, who were asked by Holliday to stand for applause.
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Although it began as a youth organization, it has now expanded to include adult musicians and the once separate entity of the Battlefords Concert Band has now merged with the NBCKB organization. Many of the concert band members were youth members of NBCKB, some from its marching days.
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President Donna Van Dijk, who plays the flute in the concert band, thanked the audience for spending the afternoon with them, and for their dedication and support of the band.
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鈥淭his afternoon we鈥檝e tried to highlight the past 65 years, but of course we haven鈥檛 even come close to expressing what this organization has done for this community,鈥� said Van Dijk. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure there are a lot of you out there who could tell stories about the impact the band has had on you.鈥�
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The president also said, 鈥淚 want to thank Jackie who took on the challenge of leading the band this fall after the retirement of Gene Aulinger, and I think our performance today speaks highly of her talents and expertise.鈥�
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Aulinger still works with the beginner and intermediate components of NBCKB who were under his direction last week for their winter concert at the NBCK Band Hall.
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He expressed thanks to the many teachers from the community who give their extra time to the band as well as all those who support the work of the band.
He also thanked Van Dijk for 鈥渁ll her hard work.鈥�
