The Johnstown Citizens’ Band and

the Gloversville Civic Band

Their Talent and Passion Bring Joy to So Many!

The Johnstown Citizens’ Band and the Gloversville Civic Band are composed of musicians, including professionals, teachers and music loving people who come together and perform free outdoor concerts during the summertime for their communities.

Both bands were formed at the turn of the 20th century: The Johnstown Citizens’ Band recently ended its 114th year of existence and the Gloversville Civic Band has been performing since the late 1890s. The musicians in both bands are made up of music teachers, and a few professional musicians, along with a number of other members who may have not majored in music, but who have loved playing since high school and have opted to continue their love of music by joining and performing in one or both of these wonderfully talented groups. Many of them give private lessons and perform in a variety of venues in the area. Currently, the Conductor and President of the Johnstown Citizens’ Band is Noel Wing, a retired music educator. Tom Gerbino, another retired music teacher, conducts the Gloversville Civic Band. Both have an extensive history of teaching and conducting in the public school systems and have participated in professional musical endeavors in their communities. They also are responsible for selecting the music for each concert and recruiting the musicians.

The Johnstown Citizens’ Band has only 35-37 members because the band shell cannot hold more people! As older members pass on, the band encourages younger musicians to join. Age is not a deterrent, however. The ability to sight-read is more important than the age of the musician. The Gloversville Civic Band is a little larger and they welcome student musicians to perform with the band upon the recommendation of their band teacher.

Carol Carelli (Vice President and Secretary of the Johnstown band, and member of both bands) stated, “There are no auditions for either band. However, since we only rehearse for 45-60 minutes before the concert, the musicians must be able to sight-read the music well…that means they need to be able to play the music perfectly….or close to perfectly, the first time. Most of our rehearsals are for stops and starts, tempo changes, and solos, etc. We don’t have the pleasure of practicing the music before the concert….we just show up and PLAY! The Johnstown band generally does not play for other functions, although we have had some “extra” concerts over the years for community celebrations…in the early years of the band, they performed at many community functions, but the bands then were much smaller!”

There are many musicians who play in both bands. The members used to come from the local communities, but as it got more difficult to fill the spots, they have reached out farther in the area to get the musicians….mostly by word of mouth or the recommendation of the local HS teachers. The Johnstown Citizens’ Band has a 5-member board, which is responsible for the organization of the band, fundraising activities, hiring musicians, purchase of music and musical equipment and any other activity necessary to keep the group performing. As a non-profit organization, the Johnstown Citizens’ Band relies on donations from local businesses and individual patrons to support our concerts. Donations can be mailed to: Carol Carelli, Fundraising Chairperson, 113 Laurel Drive, Amsterdam, NY 12010.

The Gloversville Citizens Band, Inc. produces the Summer Band Concerts in the Park, performed by the Gloversville Civic Band. The Gloversville Civic Band started their 2022 season on July 6th and played 6 concerts on Wednesdays for the public until mid-August. These outdoor concerts have been a tradition for many decades. In 2021 and 2022 the venue for the concerts was the Trail Station Park on West Fulton Street. The Lexington Campus on East State Street in Gloversville has offered their space for concerts in the case of inclement weather and the last concert. The organization promotes traditional, classical, and popular music for public enjoyment. The 2023 season will probably have 6 concerts, every Wednesday, starting at 7 PM. The concerts are free and open to the public. Both venues are handicapped accessible and have ample parking for the audience and musicians. Audience members must bring their own lawn chairs to both locations.

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NOTE: Information contained on these pages was taken, with permission, from a writing about the history of the Johnstown Citizens’ Band. The article was called, “AND THE BAND PLAYED ON”, by Dorothy Jenner Dopp. Other information in this story was provided by Carol Carelli, Vice President and secretary of the Johnstown Citizens’ Band and Diane Perrella, Board of Directors, Gloversville Citizens Band, Inc. Copy and photos were also provided by Tom and Janet Gerbino, of the Gloversville Civic Band. A huge thank you to Samantha Hall-Saladino from the Fulton County Historical Society for her research and input for this article, and to Norm Clo, Mark Batty and Craig Brookins for their personal stories about family in the two bands.

The Gloversville Civic Band, sponsored by the organization, receives all its funding from local businesses and individual donors. Recognition is noted in our terrifically printed Program for the summer band season! Prior to 2022, grant money awarded from the Saratoga Council on the Arts betwen 2018-2021 helped support the summer series. Our group continues to present 6 varied music programs each summer with Tom Gerbino, Conductor. These themes include “Tribute to America”, “Baseball”, “Big Band Favorites” etc. Each concert features local ‘legends’ and a musical quiz. We are especially grateful to the wonderful support received from the Board, Public, Advertisers, DPW and the Media. We are proud to state that our concerts are “family friendly”. The three-person Board of Directors of the Gloversville Citizens Band, Inc., does all the public outreach, fundraising and organizing of the concerts.

If anyone is interested in donating or volunteering, call 518-725-8286 or 518-775-3830. Donations are gladly accepted and can be mailed to: Gloversville Citizens’ Band, Inc. PO Box 984, Gloversville, NY 12078.

History of the Bands

The Johnstown Citizens’ Band has a long history in the community beginning in the 1870s. Robert Bedford, onetime Johnstown historian, noted that the Johnstown Cornet Band gave a series of open concerts in the Court House Park, right across the street from the current venue. The band was still in existence until 1897 when the name was changed to Johnstown City Band. In the mid-1890s another band, Johnstown Military Band and the City band combined to form the Johnstown Citizens’ Band. At the same time, there was also a Gloversville Military Band.

In 1908 reorganization of the groups took place with the first-known actual business meeting held in January of 1910. Many members of the band participated for decades. The first Conductor was Herbert W.L. Jenner. Mr. Jenner was at the helm until 1938 when he turned over the conductor position to his son, Charles E. Jenner, when he became ill. He died in 1941 and Charles became the official conductor. Charles E. Jenner conducted the band until 1976, when he passed away conducting a concert at the Willing Helper’s Home in Johnstown. At that time, he had been affiliated with the band for 60 years. In August, 1976, a Bicentennial Concert was dedicated to Mr. Jenner. It was always Charlie’s dream to play in a bandshell, and in 1979 a contract to build the bandshell commenced. The band has played there every summer since its completion. After Mr. Jenner’s death, James Hughston, an elementary music teacher and member of the band, conducted the group from 1977-1979. In 1979 Joseph Walsh, another member of the band, took over and led the band until 2008, when Douglas Dougherty, a HS music teacher conducted until he retired in 2019. After a 2-year year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, Noel Wing, the current director, led the band for the 2022 season.

The Gloversville Civic Band has a long history, beginning in the early 1810s.

The first band in Gloversville was led by Ephraim Kelly Eaton. Born in 1814, Eaton came from a musical family and played a number of instruments. At 16, his father sent him off to become a shoemaker. However, it was his cousin, a clerk in his father’s store, who started his musical education. In 1834, when he was 20, he traveled to Boston after he heard of an opportunity to play in a band abord the US Frigate Constitution for a cruise to the Mediterranean.

He returned to the US in the spring of 1835 and eventually settled in Gloversville. After joining a circus band in 1838, Eaton returned to the area and became a member of the Cook’s Band in Albany and in 1842, he joined the Schenectady Brass Band.

In 1844, Eaton left the area again to join Lent’s Circus with the Schenectady Brass Band. In 1861, he organized a band for the USS Sabine (at the beginning of the Civil War). In the years following 1862-64, a number of men tried to field a band, including Steve Moore, Ed Fox, Jason Morris, Jim Hosmer, Servy Fallis, Matt Fallis, Thad DeRose, Hick Kasson, Curley Graff, Bob Hyman, Bill Ruff Washburn, Mack Comrie and Jon Van Vechten, who were the principal windjammers of the village. The war brought out a lot of fifes and drummers, noisily howling day and night.

The band kept rehearsing and continued to increase in size so during the campaign of President Grant, the Gloversville Cornet Band was favorably known throughout the state. On January 5, 1874 the following officers were elected: President: W. A. Kasson; secretary, R.B. Hyman; manager, A.J. Kasson; musical director, Ben Dale. Mr. Dale was offered a position as the head of a band in Philadelphia, shortly thereafter, and C. W. Swart was elected leader.

Around 1879, Mr. A.K. Kasson, a local businessman and benefactor in Gloversville, looked upon the band as a good business proposition and asked Mr. Ned Clapp, a talented cornetist and leader, to take charge of the band. Mr. Clapp brought several trained musicians with him and reorganized the name of the Gloversville Reed and Cornet Band. Unfortunately, Mr. Clapp left Gloversville in 1883 for Pittsfield and took nearly all the musicians with him.

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