Buffalo Silver Band

Future Concerts

Nov
30
Christmas! Wrapped in Brass
Churchill Memorial United Methodist Church
2:30 pm
Dec
14
Christmas! Wrapped in Brass
Westminster Presbyterian Church
7:30 pm
Mar
1
Brass Day!
Holland High School
7:00 pm
Mar
15
Beatles and Beyond! and The David R. Colkitt Memorial Scholarship Performance
Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall
7:30 pm

David R. Colkitt Memorial Scholarship

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To honor a beloved member of the Buffalo Silver Band who suddenly passed last year, The Buffalo Silver Band renamed its annual scholarship competition: The David R. Colkitt Memorial Scholarship. David R. Colkitt. Until his untimely passing in 2023, David Colkitt was the longest continuously serving member of the Buffalo Silver Band. He joined the BSB in 1981as a tenor horn player, later moving throughout the cornet section until he settled in as principal 2nd cornet. He was a quiet leader who preferred to do rather than talk about what needed to be done.

Read More About David and the Scholarship
He played tenor horn because that was what was needed at the time. He volunteered to play solo, second, third and repiano cornets because that was what was needed. He always thought about the good of the bandswith which he played and always contributed to the very best of his ability. As a retired teacher from Akron, it is not surprising that Dave considered the annual scholarship and the side-by-side concerts the BSB plays with area school bands his favorite performances. Daniel E. Plachta, a long-time friend of Dave’s, has helped put the scholarship on firmer footing with a very generous leadership donation to start a permanent scholarship fund. You can help!

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Holiday Concert: Christmas! Wrapped in Brass

November 30, 2:30 PM. Churchill Memorial Church, 8019 Boston State Rd, Hamburg, NY 14075

Hear the band ring in the holidays with special guests and some special music! What better way to celebrate the holiday season than with thirty of your favorite brass players (and three of  your favorite percussionists) performing all your holiday favorites? From standard seasonal fare to holiday tunes with a special BSB twist, there is something here for everyone. James Bialasik, Superintendent of the Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District, will narrate a musical arrangement of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Free Will Offering.

Featured Musician-Larry Thompson

Joining the Buffalo Silver Band around 1982, Larry Thompson is its longest serving member. He is currently playing Eb Alto Horn, but he has also played Cornet and Soprano Cornet with the band. It really helps to move Larry around where he is most needed! Larry also has served on the Buffalo Silver Band Board where he helped guide the band to the Bill Cocca era.

Larry Thompson and the Buffalo Silver Band 2000

Married for 53 years with 3 children and 7 grandchildren living in Western New York, Larry’s family life is vibrant and central, but he is also an avid bicyclist, swimmer, and golfer.  Larry is an active church member and plays regularly in the Vesper Brass at the First Trinity Lutheran Church on Niagara Falls Boulevard. He also plays in the Pioneer Brass. In the past he has performed with the Lancaster Town Band and the Naples (Florida) Community Orchestra. Larry was brought up in the Salvation Army in Hamilton, Ontario, and that was the origination of his love for Brass Bands. Larry has also read and studied extensively about the origin and evolution of brass bands throughout the UK. He was lucky enough to attend the National Brass Band Competition in 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Brass Band music, Salvation Army and professional bands, continue to be Larry’s favorite music.