Music is nourishment for the soul. The melodic sounds and pleasant tones produced by musicians and their instruments create much more than artistic songs; they also inspire powerful emotions that lodge deep in human memory. Music can instantly transport a listener back to a childhood adventure, a romantic courtship, a momentous world event, or simply a warm summer evening long ago.
When a band plays, intangible qualities are born that surpasses the talent of the individual musicians. Together, a cohesive musical group creates a magical elixir of collective sound; one of life’s greatest pleasures. The Wayne Band is one such group.
The history of community bands has an enduring tradition in Pennsylvania. Starting in the 1800s, many local towns produced such groups, but most faded into oblivion. In Waynesboro, local companies and civic groups joined this tradition sometime around 1848. Frick Company and the ATH&L firehouse sponsored groups. Other locals started a brass band and later formed the ‘Cornet Band’. Some of these bands wore lavishly trimmed uniforms with red silk sashes and yellow stripes fashioned on blue coats as they marched with highly polished instruments.
In time, many of these musical groups, despite popularity and talent, ran their course and disappeared. But in 1899, a group consisting of past area band-members gathered and started a new ensemble. They called themselves the Wayne Band. Their first concert was appropriately held in Waynesboro’s Center Square, on a damp September evening in 1899. The 26-piece group was illuminated by light from four gasoline torches. Five years later, the band officially incorporated.
One hundred-twenty-five years after their inaugural event, the Wayne Band remains vital and active, one of the oldest continuously performing musical groups in Pennsylvania.
In the beginning era, Wayne Band membership came by invitation only, and was all-male. The group performed at many local celebrations and historic venues. During the summer of 1904, the group ventured to a new attraction that grew into a Waynesboro landmark. Cold Spring Park was a natural destination, and the Wayne Band traveled there by trolley to perform. As the park and the band’s popularity grew, concerts were held summer evenings at dusk; up to 1000 people attended.
By 1911, the Wayne Band boasted over 30 members. A few years later, the band received an official letter from the American International Music and Theatrical Union, seeking to unionize them. Another band artifact is a 1915 statement that politely explained the Wayne Band’s account balance was 82 cents in arrears.
That same year, an elaborately monogrammed note from C.G. Conn Inc., a company selling the “highest grade of musical instruments”, explained it was sending a new pad to replace a defective one in the group’s soprano saxophone. Then, the band played on.
An early promotional flyer pictured the Wayne Band, led by Director Harry Krepps, in a formal posed photograph, advertising a concert. Admission was 25 cents. The text reminded townspeople the Wayne Band “affords a great deal of pleasure for our citizens. This pleasure is free to the public.” That charitable tradition would endure for the band’s future concerts.
Efforts to expand the band started in 1924. Fifteen years later, the Wayne Band was already an institution, and performed at Waynesboro’s Arcade Theatre, a site now lost to history. A professor in the band played a trombone solo titled: ‘Thoughts of Love’.
In 1947, the Wayne Band’s evolving tradition crossed paths with a new Waynesboro sensation: the Waynesboro Tigers’ football team. The band played at all home games and the next January received another letter to add to its archive. The Tigers thanked the Wayne Band for a “terrific lift during the past season,” and offered a $500 donation, a significant amount during that period. The Tigers went on to their most spectacular season in 1948, finishing undefeated.
The following year, the Wayne Band celebrated their golden anniversary with a free concert.
When the 50’s arrived, a new man materialized to direct the group. His name was Asher Edelman, and he became a Wayne Band fixture for nearly the next half-century. “You could always tell Asher’s style” said current band Director Dan Deatrich. “Asher was a musical perfectionist.” An orchestra-type band takes on the character of its director and Edelman’s tenure was no exception. A talented musician, Asher guided the band through several lean years when membership dwindled to only a dozen musicians. “He kept the band afloat,” Deatrich said about Edelman’s 47-year leadership.
Dan Deatrich has a long history with the band too, joining in 1962. His mother was an organist and played with many groups- but not the Wayne Band. Deatrich was inspired by his mom’s talent. “Music has always been in my life,” Dan recalled. He picked up the baritone horn and was invited by Edelman to join the band. Little did Deatrich know then, he would march many miles with the Wayne Band.
The sixties brought major band changes as the barrier to include women musicians was finally removed. Edelman’s wife Betty was one of the first ladies to grace a Wayne Band uniform. Deatrich remembered those heavy wool black uniforms. Over the next decades, changing fashion trends and a move toward casual comfort would alter the band’s wardrobe, but not diminish their distinctive sound. In 1974, with Edelman at the helm and Deatrich and ladies such as flutist Susan Gift onboard, the Wayne Band celebrated its 75th year.
Susan Gift joined the band in 1967. She grew up in Waynesboro, has enjoyed 57 years as a pioneer female in the group, and now serves as band Secretary. Susan recalled many trips to local places like South Mountain Restoration Center, where the group entertained patients. “It was wonderful to see people light up when they heard our music,” Gift said. She cherishes the tradition of tireless service the band has built- much of it in private under the public radar. “We’ve done so much for the community and I’m proud of that.”
As the group’s 100th year approached, it was time to pass the baton to a new director. Asher Edelman retired and Dan Deatrich was asked to be the interim director. Twenty-four productive years later, Deatrich remains the band’s leader. When asked about his style of conducting, Deatrich said: “You have to cajole to get the sound you want. Every director does it differently. There are many different personalities and styles within a musical group. You have to consider all those nuances and have proper instrumentation to carry a particular piece.”
As the group evolved, Wayne Band membership grew older; not an unusual occurrence with community bands. The current median age is middle to late 60s. “I wish we had more younger musicians,” Dan said. He hopes attention given to the band’s 125th can bring a new generation into the group. Waynesboro citizenship is not a Wayne Band requirement. Members also come from surrounding communities. “We’re an area band,” Deatrich reminded.
John Fitz is the current Wayne Band President, a trumpet player who played his first concert in 1966. Along with Wayne Bartholow, another long-time member, they represent the amazing dedication that keeps band members playing over many decades.
Sandra Lombardo is a flutist, the newest and youngest Wayne Band member. She drives two hours roundtrip from her West Virginia home to practice and play in Waynesboro. “This is a close-knit group,” Lombardo said about her 8-month experience with the group, “we’re like a family. I enjoy playing music with them.”
Jim Bruckart is a retired military physician who moved to the area twelve years ago. He has played trombone with the Wayne Band since his arrival. “There’s a strong history of community bands here. I wanted to be a part of that tradition,” Bruckart said. Jim also commented he likes the musical variety the band performs and it provides an opportunity to play year-round. Bruckart has forged friendships with his band-mates. “When you spend two hours with like-minded people every week, you develop strong camaraderie.”
Looking back over his 60-plus years with the group, Deatrich, 79, was asked what had changed. His answer: “Not too much.” The group still practices every Monday night at Waynesboro’s town hall. Constructed as the ‘Academy of Music’ in 1881, that building has been a constant companion in the group’s local history. The Wayne Band keeps music and instruments stored there and also sport a handsome display case with memorabilia in the Town Council chambers.
The instruments have gotten lighter, Deatrich said, and produce more resonate sound, but the work ethic and traditions the Wayne Band developed over 125 years remain the same. A musical piece called ‘Salute to Waynesboro’- a march Edelman wrote- will be performed this year. Another local composer wrote an arrangement titled ‘2nd Street Overture’ that Deatrich would also like to conduct. “It’s been a real joy to direct our current group and be part of this band. The Wayne Band has been a constant source of happiness for me.”
The Waynesboro community would certainly agree with Dan- the band is a Waynesboro treasure.
Wayne Band kicked off their 125th season in 2024 with a St. Patrick’s Day concert. An adoring crowd applauded a program filled with a variety of musical numbers. The band also plans a celebration concert this summer. Deatrich said the group will incorporate different eras/decades into that performance to celebrate their musical legacy. The date in August is still being decided, so like the Wayne Band does during their practices every Monday night, stay tuned.
