Although no official records have located, we know that a band did exist in Tavistock in the early Eighties. In September of 1884 at the dedication services of Trinity Luteran Church Sebastopol, theTavistock Band took part. The personnel can be seen in the accompanying picture.

The next old photograph, dated 1898, (courtesy of Miss Hedwig Hanke) shows 22 musicians under the direction of George Kneisel, a member of the former group. In March 1900 a rural band, called the Maple Leaf Band, was formed under Henry Otto from residents on Pork Street and Sebastopol Road. They disbanded shortly after the outbreak of World War I. Mr. John Faulhafer, still living with his son Laurie on Pork Street is one of the originals.

At one time, so proven by an old print, there were three bands in our village, lined up on the village square in their splendid regalia. These found frequent opportunity to play, for they were in great demand at the Fall Fairs, the garden parties, the reunions, weddings, celebrations, and for Sunday afternoon picnics, From the files of The Tavistock Gazette we glean the fact that the Band gave its first open-air performance on March 6, 1911. Ten days later the GERMAN BAND played at the Carnival:

Leader:J.H. Liebler

Snare-drum: Ed Loth

Bass Drum: W. Matthies

Saxophone: Frank McDermott

Clarinet: E. Krantz

B.Flat Cornet: Charlie Ratz

Trombone: Lloyd Klein

Bass: George Steiner

Later in March efforts were to be made to form a Musical Society to back the band, instruments from the first two bands being still available. As so on April 13, 1911 the Tavistock Musical Society came into being with:

President: Harry C. Zimmerman Vice-pres: Dr. F.J.Cawthorpe Secretary: Ed.A. Roth Treasurer: John M. Wilker

On June 1, 1911 the band was asked to take part in the Orange Parade at Palmerston on July 22, with a guarantee of $25 and costs.

After a lapse of some years, the Tavistock Musical Society was revived in the Fall of 1991, or some claim on February 13, 1920, by a group of business men. On March 20, 1920, H.H. Reid, Harry Zimmerman and A.J. Collins appeared before Council and asked them to match the $500 already raised by public subscription. The Council made a grant of $250 immediately to Secretary C.J. Kaufman, and in October added another $100 In succeeding years the precedent has been followed, the annual grant sometimes being based on the number of band concerts presented to the citizens. In 1944 the grant of $250 was turned over to Len Lemp, treasurer since 1939 and still holding that office. In 1948 it rose to $400 with the formation of a junior Band under the tutelage of Harry Boyd.

Donations were accepted from 50 cents to $50, according to the records of The Tavistock Gazette; contributions to the Society totalled about $550. With these funds a 24-piece band was organized by the Musical Society, on March 17, 1920, with George Kneisel as conductor. Some of the instruments of the defunct band had been stored in the hall above the garage of Christian Strahm on Woodstock St. N., later known as the Dyck Block. (These quarters were at one time licensed as a public hall and pictures were shown there when we were kids, and it is quite conceivable that the old bands had practised in these quarters). By comparison, to assemble a band of this instrumentation in 1967, a conservative estimate would be $6000 to $8000, 6 to 8 times the cost in 1920.

A constitution was drawn up; the rules of the by-laws were very strict and make interesting reading. Anyone wishing to join the band had to pay a membership fee. Fines were imposed for such demeanours as tardiness, improper language and failure to keep one's instrument in "polished" condition. A hall was rented at $75 per annum, with heat and light included, the same hall over the Post Office where the band meets today. Rehearsals were held twice a week, and although fuel was supplied, many band members recalled stoking the old pot-bellied stove with chunks of good hardwood.

The last minutes of the Tavistock Musical Society are dated October, 1926; since that time, the band has been an independent organization.

Each year on or about the 24th of May, the musicians parade, as a marching rehearsal for the summer activities. According to band records, there later engagements were quite numerous, including the Zenda Garden Party, Clinton Dom. Day Celebrations, Thorndale Fair, etc.; on many occasions, the band accompanied the Firemen to their conventions, and shared in their glory, as a Kincardine, when they brought home the trophy, still on exhibit in the Fire Hall.

When new uniforms were required, as in 1937, a fund was established' that year and for two consecutive ones, the proceeds from the Victoria Day collections were for this purpose. The fund grew steadily through the generosity of the citizens and in recognition of this, that band was renamed The Tavistock Citizens' Band. With the outbreak of World War II, the May canvass became a patriotic endeavor. In 1940 and 1941 the collections were turned over to the Red Cross. For the net four years they were accepted in aid of the British War victims. With the centenary in the offing, consideration was given to new uniforms they were worn for the first time on May 24, 1947.