By Sheldon Spackman

golden anniversary for city ambassadors

Red Deer Royals host 50th Anniversary Gala and Marching Show Band Classic

May 31, 2019 | 8:00 PM

Central Alberta’s only marching show band is celebrating one of its biggest weekends of the year June 1-2.

On June 1, the Red Deer Royals host their 50^th Anniversary Gala at the Harvest Centre in Westerner Park, followed by the 2019 Marching Showband Classic June 2 at Lindsay Thurber High School.

Red Deer Royals president Heidi O’Connor says reaching the half-century milestone for the organization is a special accomplishment.

“Community bands have been in Red Deer for over 117 years or so,” says O’Connor. “Fifty years ago in 1969 they were officially incorporated. Being incorporated and a registered society and being a non-profit for that long, I think speaks volumes as to the members and the volunteers who help make the organization so strong.”

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In honour of the achievement, the Royals will be performing at the 50^th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, in addition to Jazz Explosion – Red Deer’s Big Band and other bands as well.

“That’s pretty special too,” she exclaims. “There’s going to be live auctions, a silent auction. There’s been so many great prizes donated by the community, I’m just overwhelmed by everything that we’ve received for donations financially and for silent auction items as well.”

O’Connor says money raised from the event will go towards all the bands in the Red Deer Community Band Society.

“So we have Monday Night Band, Monday Night Novice Band, Tuesday Night Band, Jazz Explosion, Red Deer Royals and the Red Deer Regents Adult Marching Band,” explains O’Connor. “That money will be used to help pay for instrument repair and replacement, to pay for rental facilities for the adult bands and just to keep the Society strong and going.”

Then on Sunday, about 1,000 musicians from across the province will gather on the fields at Lindsay Thurber High School for the Marching Showband Classic – a marquee event for the Royals each year.

“This is where the bands through Alberta get to come and perform their 2019 field shows,” says O’Connor. “They’re also taking these field shows to another world competition which will be held in Calgary at Stampede time. We put this on, we support the bands that come, they perform their field shows in front of about 3,000 people that come to this event and it’s just a really great day.”

Bands performing at Sunday’s Classic include the Red Deer Royals, Calgary Stetson Show Band, Bishop Grandin Marching Ghosts, Calgary Stampede Show Band, Calgary Round-Up Band and the Band of Outriders.

“The shows this year are really great,” she exclaims. “I’ve seen them once in Calgary already and I can’t wait to see them again. Every time you see these field shows, they’re always tweaking or perfecting something in them, so every time you see them, there’s something a little bit different.”

The Red Deer Royals Marching Show Band Classic on Sunday starts at 1:00 p.m. with tickets only $10 each.

In addition to the 50^th Anniversary Gala and Marching Show Band Classic this weekend, O’Connor notes another major highlight for the Royals this season – a trip to England and Ireland in July.

“They’re going to Limerick, Ireland to compete in a world marching competition,” adds O’Connor. “That is going to be fantastic to compete against a bunch of other bands from throughout the world. Just the experience that the members will get from travelling abroad, like being in the Royals gives the members leadership ability, responsibility, it’s just such a great opportunity for these members to go.”

O’Connor says the Royals took their first-ever over-seas trip to England and Scotland back in 1976.