Calgary Round-Up Band

The Calgary Round-Up Band is a junior high marching show band and performing arts ensemble located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The band is one of Canada's oldest junior high marching bands and the oldest marching band in The City of Calgary. They have been performing for over 60 years. They are accompanied by the Calgary Stetson Show Band, Calgary Stampede Show Band, and A Band of Outriders. They travel nationally and internationally each summer to promote its program and The City of Calgary. The band has performed in the Calgary Stampede Parade for nearly 60 years.

The Calgary Round-Up Band posing for a group photo at the 2019 AMA School Safety Patrol Picnic.
Calgary Round-Up Band
LocationCalgary, Alberta
Founded1956
Operated ByCalgary Round-Up Band Association
Years Active1956-present
Websiteroundupband.org

History
The Calgary Round-Up Band along with the Calgary Stampede Show Band, Calgary Stetson Show Band and Red Deer Royals performing at Music N Motion 2019.

The Calgary Round-Up Band was founded in 1956 by Sergeant Hanson and Corporal Chisholm of the Calgary Police Service, with the help of Kathleen Roberts. The group was formed at Briar Hill Elementary and Junior High School, being made up of students from the school.[1][2] When the band was originally formed it was known as the "Calgary Safety Patrol Band," as well as being made up of recorders, drums and glockenspiels. At this time the color of the band uniforms were red, black and white. Following a brief year and a half at Briar Hill Elementary and Junior High School, the band moved to Stanley Jones School and where the remained for ten years.[3][4]

Between the years of 1961 to 1981, the band appeared weekly on CFCN-TV a show called "Calgary Safety Round-Up," the namesake of the group. Every weekend band members would sing country and pop songs while officers of the Calgary Police Service would fill the time between songs with safety tips. In 1965 the program regularly out-rated Hockey Night in Canada.[1] [3]

The first out of province performance was to Ottawa, Ontario in 1962 for the Annual Safety Patrol Jamboree. The band charted a Douglas DC-6 for a flight to Ottawa. During this trip there would be very little adult supervision. The following year, in 1963, the group traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia as they were invited to perform at the 51st Grey Cup. A train was organized to carry the "Calgary Safety Patrol Band," which was dubbed the "Milk Train: because of the donated rail car full of milks and beverages. Once again there was very little supervision. In 1965, the band was invited back to Ottawa for Dominion Day.[3][5]

In the 1970s, Brass and Woodwind Instruments were added to the band; as well the uniform colors were changed to orange and brown and they became known as the Root-beer band. In 1975 the Calgary Safety Patrol Band changed the uniform colors a final time to white and blue they still wear to today. The "Calgary Safety Patrol Band" officially changed their name in 1979 to the "Calgary Round-Up Band," after the former Calgary Roundup singers.[3]

1984 saw the band travel to Disneyland where they performed for the mayor of Anaheim, California. The Calgary Roundup band went on to perform at Olympic Venues when Calgary, Alberta hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics. This year also saw them travel on its first international tour to England. Along with the Calgary Stampede Show Band, The Calgary Round-Up Band became the first non-military band to play at Buckingham Palace.[3][6] 2007 saw the Calgary Roundup Band and its fellow band, Calgary Stetson Showband, almost disband, due to rising costs and the inability to find locations to rehearse.[7] In 2011, the Calgary Roundup Band received $25,000 Canadian from the The Keg's "Thanks A Million" campaign. This money was used to but new interments to replace the aging instruments the band was currently using.[8] The band was invited to perform at the Okanagan Military Tattoo; in its 2019 performance the band was joined with the Brentwood Imperial Youth Band from Brentwood, Essex. To help build excitement for the band's upcoming performance at the Okanagan Military Tattoo, they performed a flash mob at the Kelowna Farmers' Market. [9][10][11] 2019, also saw Calgary, Alberta host The World Association of Marching Show Bands World Championships, where the band won the World Junior Champions and World Drum Line Champions Title.[12][11]

Performances

The Calgary Round-Up band performs all across the province of Alberta each year. These include Music N' Motion, a spring exhibition held annually in Calgary, The Calgary Stampede Parade, Celebration of Sound, a summer exhibition held in Calgary, the Banff Canada Day Parade.[9][13]The band also performs in the High River Little Britches Parade and various other parades throughout the province. In 2012 and 2019, the band competed at the World Association of Marching Show Band (WAMSB) World Championship.[14] The band also competes yearly in Show Bands Live, a competition hosted in Calgary, Alberta. The band also performs around Spruce Meadows yearly.[4]

Awards
The Calgary Round-Up Band in a group photo taken at Spruce Meadows in 2019

Calgary Stampede Parade
  • 1998 - Top Canadian Band[15]
  • 1999 - Top Canadian Band[15]
  • 2002-2005 - Best Junior Band[15]
  • 2019 - Best Junior Band[16]

World Association Of Marching Show Bands World Championship
  • 1999 - World Junior Champions[15]
  • 2000 - Gold Medal[15]
  • 2012 - Gold Medal Junior Band[15]
  • 2019 - Drum Line World Champions[16]
  • 2019 - World Junior Champions[16]

Other Awards
  • 2000 - Edmonton Klondike Day's Parade- Top Canadian Band[15]
  • 2003 - Calgary Stampede Competition for Marching Show Bands - Received prestigious Holman Cup for the Most Outstanding Band[15]

References
  1. "AMA School Safety Patrol™ Has 80 Years of History! | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  2. Chin, Felice. "Here's to you, Mrs. Roberts". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2019-09-08 – via pressreader.com.
  3. "Our History – Calgary Round-Up Band". Retrieved 2019-06-03.
  4. "Spruce Meadows Entertainment". sprucemeadows.com. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  5. Wilkinson, Charles (2013-08-31), The Calgary Safety Roundup, retrieved 2020-06-24
  6. "About The Showband - Calgary Stampede Showband". www.stampedeshowband.com. Retrieved 2019-06-03.
  7. "13 Feb 2007, 19 - Calgary Herald at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
  8. "Calgary Roundup Band given $25,000". Calgary. 2011-06-30. Retrieved 2019-06-03.
  9. "Military Tattoo rounds up Calgary Youth Band". Vernon Morning Star. 2019-03-05. Retrieved 2019-06-03.
  10. "Calgary marching band performs flash mob at Kelowna Farmers' Market". globalnews.ca. 2019-07-24. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  11. "World champions added to Vernon military tattoo roster". Vernon Morning Star. 2019-07-14. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  12. "Marching Band World Championship returns to Calgary". globalnews.ca. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  13. "Celebration of Sound at McMahon". Calgary. 2017-06-18. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  14. Babych, Stephanie (July 8, 2019). "Marching show bands tune up for world competition at Calgary Stampede". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  15. "Awards – Calgary Round-Up Band". Retrieved 2019-06-03.
  16. "Visiting Bands Committee - RESULTS". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
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