Over the next few months, music lovers and history buffs can check out an exhibit featuring area concert bands.
The exhibit, History of Community Concert Bands in Lambton County, recently opened at the Sarnia Library, located on Christina Street South.
Lambton County Archives Supervisor and Archivist Nicole Aszalos said they started planning for the exhibit prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was going to be placed in the library in 2020 as part of the 20th anniversary of the Lambton Concert Band," she said.
The concert band received funding through the Creative County Grant Program which allowed the project to broaden and explore the history of community bands across the county including Sarnia, Forest, Petrolia, Oil Springs, and Walpole Island First Nation.
Aszalos said over the years, each band had at least some similarities.
"A lot of the early bands, they had a band master and this band master was definitely the heart and soul of the band. They directed the bands, they planned the music, brought everyone together, and really allowed the community band to thrive," she said. "Band masters such as Percie Cox, Art Christmas, Willam Brush -- all of whom are mentioned in the exhibit -- they had really big impacts on the community because they were heavily involved in teaching music."
Aszalos said information about military bands will also be available at the exhibit.
Plans are being made to promote the exhibit but Aszalos said events will likely be held around the new year.
"We are working with the Lambton Libraries to put on some programming in the new year to work with -- hopefully -- local schools and active concert bands in the community."
The exhibit will be on display until April 30, 2022.