Summer concerts
since 1903
One of the oldest continuously performing community bands in the United States.
History of the band
The Green Bay City Band was organized in 1902 by M.J. Heynen and was known as the Heynen Band. In 1910 it became known as the Green Bay Concert Band, and seven years later, the American Legion Band. In 1921 the name was changed to the Green Bay City Band, the name it retains today.
Although there were interim conductors while "Prof" Heynen was out of the city, he retained control as music director until his retirement in 1937.
Heynen named Ernest W. Stiller as his successor in 1937. Stiller continued as director until 1959, when he turned the baton over to Donald Barber as director and William Johnson as manager and assistant director with instructions to "keep the band going."
Don Barber served 21 years as director of the band. During his tenure, the band's home base was moved from Whitney Park to St. James Park, where it remains today.
St. James Park was chosen to accommodate the use of the carillon in First Lutheran Church, which had been installed by the Kaap family. Otto Kaap, local restaurateur and percussionist with the band, hired carillonneurs from both Europe and America to present concert numbers with the band, such as "1812 Overture" by Tchaikovsky and Moussorgsky's "Great Gate of Kiev."
In 1980 the band toured Poland, playing 10 concerts in two weeks in Wroclaw, Poznan, Krakow, Lublin, and Warsaw suburbs. Upon Barber's resignation in the spring of 1981, Wayne J. Shepardson served as director for one year. In 1982 the board of directors selected Clare Hounsell as director and Greg Sauve as assistant conductor.
In 1988, the Green Bay City Band toured China and Hong Kong during a two week concert tour. Clare Hounsell continued as the City Band director until his retirement in 1990. The City Band Board of Directors selected Greg Sauve as Clare's replacement, Steve Bader as assistant conductor, and Clare Hounsell as Conductor Emeritus. Clare Hounsell continued his association with the Green Bay City Band as a guest conductor and band arranger until his passing in 2002.
Because the band has not missed a concert season since its first concert in 1902*, continuing even through the war years when many community bands ceased to perform, the Green Bay City Band is one of the oldest performing community bands in the United States.
*Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Green Bay City Band did not play during the summer of 2020, and was welcomed back during the 2021 summer season.
