The Barrack Street Concert Band’s 155-Year Legacy Honoured with Mayoral Reception
On Friday, September 12th, the Barrack Street Concert Band was celebrated for its remarkable 155-year legacy with a Mayoral Reception at City Hall, hosted by Mayor of Waterford City and County Council, Cllr Seamus Ryan. The event paid tribute to the band’s enduring role in Waterford’s cultural life and its storied history.
155 Years of Music: An Enduring Legacy
Waterford, Ireland — The Barrack Street Concert Band, a cornerstone of Waterford’s cultural landscape, recently marked its 155th anniversary with a celebration of music, history, and community. What began in 1870 as “The Amateur Band” at Mount Sion Christian Brothers School has evolved into a nationally recognised institution, a testament to its resilience and unwavering commitment to the arts.
“We have been a part of Waterford’s heartbeat and a band of firsts,” said the band’s president in a speech to mark the occasion. “The Barrack Street Concert Band has lived to tell many stories of Ireland’s history and, more importantly, Waterford’s history”, says Michael Rowe, President of the band.
“The band’s journey has mirrored the nation’s own, surviving two world wars and the Irish Civil War. In a particularly vivid historical footnote, the band was attacked by the IRA in 1922, with several instruments broken and thrown into the River Suir. Despite such challenges, the music never stopped. In 1926, the band made history again by becoming the first civilian band broadcast on Ireland’s national radio station, Radio 2RN”, Rowe went on to say.
Over the decades, the band has become a cultural touchstone. It’s older than the GAA, the Abbey Theatre, and even the Irish Free State. For 122 years, it has led the St. Patrick’s Day parades in Waterford, a tradition that began in 1903. The band’s annual concerts have also become a staple of the city’s cultural calendar, attracting world-class artists like Frank Patterson, Ronan Tynan, and Johnny Logan.
The band’s president highlighted their innovative spirit, noting they were “the first to put on a concert of movie scores with the corresponding movie scene playing on big screens, which is now being copied by every major orchestra and band of note.”
In recent years, the Barrack Street Concert Band has continued to build on its legacy with significant collaborations. These include a long-standing partnership with the Spraoi Festival and the Waterford City Massed Band Concerts. In a proud moment for the organization, two former band members, Captain Ben Jacob and Captain William Chester, recently conducted the Massed Bands of the Irish Defence Forces at an event celebrating composer Bill Whelan.
The band’s resilience was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that halted all public performances. “The absence of the band during lockdown was deeply felt not only by ourselves but by the community as a whole,” the president remarked. However, the band persevered, adapting to new conditions and being one of the first cultural organizations called upon to bring music back to the community when restrictions eased.
“We’ve changed names, changed uniforms, changed instruments — but never changed our commitment to music, to the band, and to Waterford,” the president concluded. “Here’s to 155 years — and to the many more years of laughter, legacy, and the many notes we’ve yet to play”, concluded Michael.
If you would like to join the Barrack Street Concert Band then contact them through their Facebook page
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