Symphonic sanctuary: community band gears up for holiday concert series

The First State Symphonic Band is a local sanctuary for lifelong musicians, students of the craft and those picking up their instruments for the first time in decades. Band members include high school and college students, lawyers, retired DuPont employees and others.

For some it's a hobby, for others it's an escape from the daily grind as they rehearse at Newark High School Thursday nights.

Take University of Delaware student Dave Mulrooney (saxophone), who makes the emotional high of playing in bands his "drug of choice." In addition to First State Symphonic, Mulrooney, 18, of Newark, is a member of the UD marching band and the 287th Army Band with the National Guard.

There are band mates like Harold Holmquist 88, of Brandywine Hundred, (third clarinet), who has been a member since it was originally the Dupont Employees Concert Band. And others like Katharine Kerrane (flute),  54, of Newark, Wendy Oren (first clarinet), 50, of New Castle, and Carol Mahoney (second clarinet), 54, of Newark,  who hadn’t picked up their instruments in years.

Oren joined the band eight years ago when she found out about it through Wittman, the song leader at her church, Faith Baptist.

“I had put away my clarinet for about 30 years and just picked it up again and found that you can work at it and get back to where you were years ago,” Oren says.

Band President Tim Rohs (saxophone), an attorney, joined the band 15 years ago when he saw a listing in the newspaper and was surprised to learn there was a place adults could play music.

“It’s a group that does some good and challenging music but also is accepting and tries to make room for everyone,” says Rohs, 40, of Brandywine Hundred.

The band is 35 strong and hoping to grow to 50. It welcomes new members anytime. Try outs are just that: sit in for a few weeks to see if there is a good fit, and if so, pay a prorated portion of the $35 per year dues ($15 for students).

As Mahoney puts it, playing in the band is like free therapy, with funny people who share a common love of music. But the best part is watching the audience's reaction.

“We make people happy at our concerts,” she says.

Mahoney played for Newark High School until graduation in 1972. In 2000, she saw a banner on the school advertising a band reunion. After 28 years, she dusted off her instrument and decided to do it. At the rehearsal she encountered fliers on the stands saying, “Now that you've picked up your instrument again, why not consider joining the First State Symphonic band?” When she moved back to Delaware, she joined and never looked back.

“It all comes back in short order by virtue of long ago acquired muscle memory in remembering all the fingerings," she says. “Just coming to the rehearsal is fun, and just getting away from the pressures of the day. You may have rushed to get there and have problems at home but you go in and you forget them."

First State Symphonic is one of a number of bands that husband and wife Darrel and Marje Schindler belong to. Darrel plays the trumpet and Marje is a percussionist for First State. Darrel, 74, of Brandywine Hundred, joined just out of college in 1958, when it was still the Dupont Employees Concert Band. Marje joined four years ago.

“It’s a chance to play good music that’s done professionally,” Darrell Schindler says. “A lot depends on the conductor and we’re fortunate to have Jonathan Wittman. He is a high school band director [for Newark’ and it shows. He knows how he wants it and he’ll rehearse you until you get it the way he wants it.”

Mulrooney, Newark High School student Sara Schwartz-Glassner, 17, and Charter School of Wilmington student Shefali Kapadia, 17, of Hockessin, are the youngsters on the band.

Schwartz-Glassner cannot get enough of the camaraderie and sense of accomplishment of playing in bands.

“You’re all trying to figure it out together and sometimes you need a little help,” she says. “You go through a few times. You joke about it. When you have it all around you and everyone’s in tune and just right, you just get a certain feeling. It feels amazing to be a part of it,” she says.

Mulrooney joined First State when he was a sophomore at Newark. Like Schwartz-Glassner, he was already playing for Wittman in the Yellowjackets marching band. He loves the medleys from arrangers like Leonard Bernstein or movies like “Polar Express” or “Star Wars.”

“They include a lot of tempo changes and style changes. It keeps me on my toes musically,” Mulrooney says. “That and Christmas music. That’s my favorite part of it.”

The band plays a variety of music from classical to popular, with medleys by artists like Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller, movie and Broadway excerpts, marches, and music written specifically for bands.

The band has concerts throughout the year, but the Christmas concerts always draw the biggest crowds. This year’s are Dec. 5 at Faith Baptist and Dec. 15 Ingleside Retirement Center, and the band has been busy practicing carols, medleys and other selections. This year it will play arrangents of “Away in a Manger,” “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” “The 12 Days of Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride,” and two medleys: “A Christmas Festival” and “A Most Wonderful Christmas.”