When Orange Community Band performs at the bandstand in Butterfield Park, they are continuing a tradition of being one of the oldest community bands in the state. The roots of the band go back to the 1850s, when the Mechanics Band performed, according to band librarian and secretary, Maureen Riendeau.
Originally, community bands were formed through different trade unions and companies. After the Mechanics Band, the New Home Sewing Machine Band formed and then the Minute Tapioca Band. Many of the same core group of musicians were involved in all of these bands. “There was no television then. It gave people something to do every week,” Riendeau said. Both New Home Sewing Machine Co. and Minute Tapioca Co. once existed in Orange.
On March 14, 1971, she said the Orange Community band formed after taking over from Minute Tapioca Band. “We are one of the oldest community bands in the state. Shelburne claims to be the oldest; we were both created around the same time in the 1850s.”
The current Orange Community Band has residents from Orange as well as other towns from the area. The band contains several members from the same family. Riendeau herself, who plays the clarinet, has been a part of the Orange Community band for 56 years. She has played the clarinet for 62 years, beginning in fourth grade.
Butterfield Park, where the Orange Community Band plays, also has a musical connection to the past. It is the same park where the Mechanics, New Home Sewing Machine and Minute Tapioca bands once performed. The community band plays in the bandstand that was erected in 1976. The previous bandstand had been there prior to the 1950s, Riendeau said.
Along with playing in Orange, the band also has shared its musical talents in other area towns, with many current band members also playing in other community bands such as those in Petersham and Montague. “Half of those who play in our band also play in another band,” Riendeau said.
In the past, the band has performed in parades, made appearances at the Athol Bicentennial and at Old Home Days in both North Orange and New Salem. The band also awards the annual John Tandy Memorial Scholarship to up to five deserving graduates and postgraduates. Tandy was a past president of the band.
The final concert of the season will be on July 23 at Butterfield Park. Riendeau said that Covid has changed their season this year and that next year, the Pop concerts the band has been doing for 40 years are planned to return. The Orange Community Band is funded solely through individual and business donations. Those interested in joining the band can contact Riendeau at mriendeau@mass.rr.com
The Orange Historical Society has a music room that contains photos and memorabilia of the history of music in Orange. Items on display include instruments, photos and other memorabilia from the Mechanics, New Home Sewing Machine and Minute Tapioca bands as well as items from music programs at the Orange schools throughout the years.
The Orange Historical society is located at 41 North Main St. and is opened on Wednesdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. from June through September.