By day, they are engineers, school teachers, physical therapists, retirees, even a municipal court judge; but on Monday nights they are musicians. These are the members of the Mercer County Symphonic Band, which brings its ever-popular holiday concert to the Kelsey Theater, Wednesday, December 22, at 8 p.m. The program will include classic holiday songs like “Sleigh Ride,” the Big Band Bash, a medley of Russian folk songs, and two Chanukah songs.
By day Marty Timins of West Windsor is the copy chief for Parade Magazine, where he has worked since 1975. He plays alto sax in the band and is one of the longest-serving members. (A few members have been with the band since its inception 24 years ago, and several have been members for almost 20 years.) “Most of the people who join the band played in high school. It’s camaraderie. All of us really enjoy playing.” Timins and his wife, Ruth, live on Fairway Drive and have two grown daughters and two granddaughters.
Timins credits the band’s current music director, Lou Woodruff, with having brought the group to a new level. Woodruff, who has led the band for the past five years, retired several years ago after having spent 18 years with ETS and is now director of testing at Bucks County Community College. Woodruff and wife, Tina, who works for the Ford Foundation ,live in Washington’s Crossing and have two grown daughters. “Lou has really improved the musicianship of the band,” says Timins. “We’ve tackled much more difficult pieces under Lou’s direction.”
“It’s a commitment,” says Woodruff. “The musical demands are significant, but joyous. People join us for a sense of community. Making music with people is a very dynamic experience.”
Woodruff believes another reason that people join the band is their pride as craftsmen. “It takes years to learn to play an instrument well enough to perform in such a group. And once you’ve attained that level, there’s a certain reasonable and worthy self-pride that comes from that. It’s a sense of completion of yourself and fulfillment of your destiny as a human to create and interact with beauty.”
John Roeder of West Windsor teaches physics at the Calhoun School in New York City and has played the tuba in the band for the last 23 years. His wife, Rae, is a former town council member. “I belong for the joy of making music together,” says Roeder. “It’s even more fun to play in the band than to attend the concerts. This is one thing I never want to give up. I love it.”
The band, which currently has 65 members ranging in age from 13 to 75 years, was started in 1980 by John Kulpa who worked in the music department at Mercer County Community College. Members attend a two-hour practice session every Monday night and practice the music at home during the week. There are no auditions. Anyone who wants to join is welcome. Sponsorship is provided by Mercer County Community College and the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission.
Roeder, who encourages everyone to attend the December 22 holiday concert, says that being part of the band does not take much time. “When I started there were times when I thought I just didn’t want to go back out on Monday night. But I never let myself stay home. And when I come home from practice, I feel even better than when I went. I call it my Monday night therapy.”
—Fran Ianacone
Mercer County Symphonic Band Holiday Concert, Wednesday, December 22, Kelsey Theater, Mercer County Community College, 8 p.m. Anyone interested in joining the band should contact Woodruff at 215-968-8467.
