On March 17th, 2005, 39 members of the community of Clare Michigan gathered to discuss the possible creation of a community band under the direction of long time Clare High School band director Ken Feneley. With four shows a year (Irish Festival, Outreach, 4th of July, & Christmas) the band has played over 300 different pieces of music and has had over 200 people perform at one time or another with them. Throughout the years the band has seen many different conductors, but the dedication to music performance and community involvement has remained strong. Every year the band provides scholarships to local schools in an effort to help the advancement of music education in the surrounding community. Under its current conductor, Joel Beamish, the band is continuing to flourish and grow with new members being welcomed on a regular basis. If you would like to be a part of this organization, rehearsals take place most Thursdays at 7:30pm in the Clare High School band room from the months of September through June.
In 2017, a new branch of the Gateway Community Bands organization was founded. The Gateway Community Chorus, under the direction of Joan Long, offers an opportunity for community members to come together and enjoy making vocal harmonies. Joan is currently in the process of putting together concert dates for the chorus. If you would like be a part of this organization, rehearsals take place most Tuesdays at 7:30pm at Farwell High School. |