Musical Heritage
The City of Chatfield, established in 1853, has a long association with bands and performance. The first band was organized in 1882. In 1885 the Chatfield town council set up a tax appropriation to fund summer band concerts. The summer band concerts and the tax levy that supports them still exist today!
Somewhere along the way, the Chatfield Town Band dissolved but was revived again by Jim Perkins in 1969. Perkins gleaned the names of band members from old high school yearbooks and sent out invitations to the first rehearsal of the new Chatfield Brass Band. Sixteen people attended the first rehearsal, six of them playing tuba! Through Perkins' tireless promotion, the band grew to nearly 50 members.
The Chatfield Brass Band played for President Carter and toured Washington, D.C. to play at the John Philip Sousa Memorial Concert in 1982. A bus accident that sent 11 of 46 band members to the hospital did not deter the group's enthusiasm for their craft. 1999 will be the Chatfield Brass Band's 30th anniversary year.
Bandstand
The first bandstand was built in the 1890's, followed by a "new" bandstand erected in the city park in 1921. This small stone and brick structure was added on to in the 1940's, when band music was at its peak.
The bandstand was torn down in 1997. Plans are underway for a new bandshell in the city park. The bandshell project is still about $20,000 away from reality. Please consider donating to this worthwhile cause! For further information, contact:
Chatfield Brass Band
c/o J. Verdegan
603 Winona Street SE
Chatfield, MN 55923
(507) 867-4908
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Music Library
One problem facing the band was the unavailability of sheet music. Not just any sheet music, but the hard to come by kind; the challenging pieces rarely played today. Perkins sent requests to high schools to send him their unneeded music. Thus began the Chatfield Brass Band Music Lending Library. Pieces came from all over the country--in boxes, thirty to sixty at a time. The music was first stored at Perkins' home, and then at Chatfield City Hall. Music took over the storerooms, the men's shower stalls and spilled out into the hallways.
Perkins eventually received money from the state legislature to build a 3000 square foot building on land he donated. Today inside the music library, stacks of filing cabinets contain thousands of catalogued pieces of music. Bands from as far away as Australia and Japan have borrowed from this valuable collection. Incredibly, most of the library work is done by volunteer staff.
To request music from the library, please call (507) 867-3275 or write to us at the Chatfield Brass Band Music Lending Library, 81 Library Lane, Chatfield, MN 55923
Bandtown USA
Word of Chatfield's unique music reputation spread throughout the country. In 1973, the library and band incorporated and achieved tax exempt status. In 1983, the city's post office received permission to use a special cancellation stamp reading "Bandtown USA, 125th Anniversary, 1983-1978." The post office also received about 40,000 13-cent stamps to commemorate the event. Governor Anderson proclaimed Chatfield "Bandtown USA" in 1978. The US Navy Band, Swiss Bands, and other international bands have performed in Chatfield.
Join us!
We are always looking for new band members and library volunteers.
Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings at Chosen Valley High School.
Contact
J. Verdegan for more information.
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