[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 4 (Friday, January 13, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E11]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF THE BARRINGTON BAND

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 13, 2012

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the centennial 
anniversary of the Barrington Band and commemorate its many 
contributions to the cultural community of South New Jersey. This 
community band comprised of approximately thirty members ranging from 
teenagers to seniors has delighted audiences with their patriotic and 
seasonal repertoire for one hundred years, and today we thank them for 
the joy they have brought to their many listeners this past century.
  The Barrington Band formed on January 1, 1912 when four townsmen rang 
in the New Year parading through the streets with cowbells, whistles, a 
clarinet and drum. They had such fun that they decided to form a 
community band. Recruitment proved to be easy, as many members of the 
Barrington Improvement Association were eager to join despite a lack of 
musical knowledge. This was soon remedied as local musicians were hired 
to teach the new band, and this day July 4, 1912 the band held their 
first performance at the flag-raising of the Barrington Fire Company.
  Since that day, the Barrington Band has been marching and playing at 
all sorts of community building events including 17 Philadelphia 
Mummers Day Parades, the inauguration of New Jersey Governor Harold 
Hoffman in 1935, on the way to the shore on the Wildwood Boardwalk, and 
at the annual Concert at the Gazebo in Cape May.
  Through decades of excellent musicianship, the Barrington Band has 
built an unparalleled reputation for providing a fun and entertaining 
show comprised of marches, patriotic and Broadway songs. Beyond being a 
staple at Barrington civic events and nursing homes, the band has 
established the Harold Houck Award for musicianship and academic 
achievement, to be given to a member of the Woodland School eighth 
grade graduating class. The award was named after Harold Houck, son of 
the original band director, who played with the band from fourteen to 
eighty-nine years old. He started a tradition of lifelong participation 
that continues to this day, a unique legacy for this talented band.
  Mr. Speaker, the Barrington Band has been an integral part of the 
South Jersey community for one hundred years, bringing people together 
through the shared joy of music. I join the township and all of South 
Jersey in paying tribute to this exceptional band on its one-hundredth 
anniversary.

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