Waterloo Municipal Band

Waterloo Municipal Band. . , Tuesday night band concerts have long been special in Waterloo-one could go uptown on a beautiful summer evening to listen to a free concert with family and friends. Ice cream and popcorn always available as a special treat. , The city has always had a love for music. One of the early bands in Waterloo was the Enterprise Band, May 1908 to 1918. One of the annual events they played at was the school picnic. The Enterprise Band was the nucleus for future bands. In 1919, Rev G. E. Brink, of St. Paul Evangelical and Reformed Church, organized and directed the Sunday School Band. His assistant was Bryant It was in 1930 that Henry Gentsch, then president of the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, suggested the formation of a local marching band to replace the Cape Girardeau band hired each year for appearances in the Waterloo Homecoming parades According to Gentsch, the Cape Girardeau band not only charged too much, but arrived more than once short of members. A meeting was held of former members of the Sunday School Band. It was at this meeting in 1931 that a new marching band was formed, calling themselves the Waterloo Municipal Band with Bryant Voris as the director. , It was in 1930 that Henry Gentsch, then president of the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, suggested the formation of a local marching band to replace the Cape Girardeau band hired each year for appearances in the Waterloo Homecoming parades According to Gentsch, the Cape Girardeau band not only charged too much, but arrived more than once short of members. A meeting was held of former members of the Sunday School Band. It was at this meeting in 1931 that a new marching band was formed, calling themselves the Waterloo Municipal Band with Bryant Voris as the director. , Over the years, the Waterloo Municipal Band would travel to neighboring communities representing the city to do concerts and parades. Beginning in 1938, when marching in parades, the band was led by drum major Otis Lutz. With Lutz in front and a snappy band behind him, the band was the pride of Waterloo. , Otis "Rex Rexroth and the Commercial Club (forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce) are credited with building the first bandstand in 1924 at the site of the present Odd Fellow Hall. The bandstand was moved in 1925 to the southwest corner of the Court House Square. The bandstand that stands today, where the band still plays Tuesday night concerts in the summer months, was erected in 1957., Band members ages span decades, with young musicians performing with the old. It is a tradition of the Waterloo Municipal Band to conclude each concert with its trademark march: John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever