Kirby Band celebrates 150 years of music, community joy

By Erica Deretz

For The Pennysaver

NICHOLS — Nichols’s very own Kirby Band celebrated its 150th birthday on Aug. 17, following the third performance of its annual Summer Concert Series. Founded in 1876, the all‑volunteer ensemble has played without interruption for a century and a half, making it one of the oldest continuously performing civilian bands in the nation. Weekly rehearsals throughout the year keep its members ready for concerts and parade performances all across Tioga County and beyond.

Historic memorabilia was on display for the celebration, including uniforms, hats, a marching bass drum, an award cup presented to Allen B. Kirby in 1926, several photographs (one dating back to 1903/1904), and a notebook of band notes from 1948 when B. J. Cotton served as Conductor. Some of these items came from the Nichols Historic Collection, housed and available for viewing upstairs in the George P. & Susan Platt Cady Library.

The Kirby Band Building, formerly the Asbury Church, was built in 1822 and has recently

benefited from numerous restoration and preservation efforts. In doing so, the band has restored and safeguarded a piece of Nichols’s architectural and cultural heritage while continuing and upholding its own legacy.

That legacy began when J. W. Peckett formed the Nichols Concert Band in 1876. A. B. Kirby,

a founding member, became leader in 1879. Under his guidance, the band grew into a cornerstone of Nichols, performing through eras of war, economic change, and shifting musical tastes. The ensemble officially adopted the Kirby name in 1907. Kirby himself played until age 87 and remained a defining figure until his passing in 1949 at age 92. Today Amanda Smith serves as the band’s

Musical Director/Conductor, and Sandra Ridley serves as President of the band’s Board of

Directors. The band’s Summer Concert Series, free to the public, remains a cherished tradition with pieces ranging from ’60s classics to Americana to film songs, with the theme from Rocky being one of their newest (not to mention wonderfully executed) numbers. The series runs every August as they perform on the first four Mondays, from 7-8 p.m., at Kirby Park in Nichols.

The Kirby Band’s impressive longevity is a testament to generations of musicians and support volunteers who have kept the tradition alive. This year Nichols celebrates not only a musical legacy but a living, breathing piece of community history that continues to bring neighbors, near and far, together.