Community Band of the Palouse is celebrating its 50th anniversary Friday with a free concert open to the community.
Don Peters, CBOP saxophone player and founding member, said the band began in 1974 as the Pullman Community Band. But in the 2000s, the name was changed because the band consisted of people who lived throughout the entirety of the Palouse, not just Pullman.
“We wanted to recognize in our name that we are very inclusive of any musicians in the area that want to play,” Peters said.
Miranda Bernhardt, CBOP president and French horn player, said CBOP is a community band open to musicians throughout the Palouse, providing music in a variety of venues throughout the region from outdoor concerts to formal stages.
Bernhardt said Friday’s concert is special because CBOP has been around for five decades and will incorporate historically performed pieces and some band favorites.
CBOP director Matt Zook said going into rehearsals and planning this performance, he spoke with Peters and other members involved with the band in its early days to discuss what kind of traditions they wanted to see with the anniversary performance.
Zook said he could see what pieces CBOP played every year, what some people’s favorites were and some of the highlights were from previous years.
“They all ended up being pretty cool pieces, which I was very happy about. It made it easier to program,” he said.
Other pieces were not part of any tradition, but were still special and ones Zook said he had wanted to have the band perform for a while.
Zook said he has seen CBOP members become enthusiastic about the performance, and he enjoys seeing their excitement and each member’s skill level.
“This being the 50th anniversary, I feel a little more stressed out, a little more pressure,” he said. “But I have lots of help and lots of really good input, and in general it was really fun to program and put together and imagine what kind of special event we can make out of this concert.”
He said he enjoys what he does and is happy to have the chance to dress up to celebrate how long CBOP has been a part of the community.
Peters said it is exhilarating to get on stage with friends and make music that entertains the community. Because this is the 50th anniversary, he is hoping to see some former members come back and be a part of the audience.
The concert will be held at 7 p.m. Friday in the Pullman High School Auditorium. People interested in joining CBOP can reach out to the band’s Facebook or find contact information on the band’s website.
