Western Tech Trumpet Band

Members from Western Tech

One of the roots of the Toronto Optimists can be found in the Western Tech Trumpet Band. Alumni of Western Tech include: Barry Bell, Clare Reid, Lorne Ferrazzutti and Warren Berger.

WESTERN TECHNICAL COMMERCIAL SCHOOL CADET CORPS TRUMPET BAND

This band is composed of “Western” Students 14 to 18 years old. They tackle everything with spirit and enthusiasm and have always managed to stay up among the firsts and seconds in the Canadian Championships.

The yearly turn-over of our older players is always our big problem, but also our challenge. It is a pleasure to see the senior bands march by, and note the large numbers of ex-Western bandsmen swelling the ranks.

Last year this band chose a Scottish Theme which was composed of all Scottish music and even included two Scottish Lassies dancing the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance as the band carried out its drill.

This year the band has switched back to the “Western” Theme which has always been popular with the boys, and they feature such tunes as The Dying Cowboy, Don’t Fence Me In, and South of the Border. They hope this will find the same favour with the audience as last years theme.

The band is under the direction of Don McIntyre and Claire Reid.

 (These notes were taken from the program for a 1957 Opti-Corps Contest.)

Here is an Acrobat file from the 1954–55 Western Tech Yearbook (Submitted by Glenn Copp)