The Musical Director of the Dundas Concert Band, William (Bill) Rolfe, has recently decided to put down his baton. He has served the band for almost 40 years, and has shown a deep commitment in all aspects of the band. His extensive knowledge of composers, and different genres of music have resulted in a wide variety of music for the band, with an increasing level of difficulty. Band members have risen to the challenge, and have performed music in the past few years that might have proved daunting in the past. He repeatedly chose a repertoire that was interesting and challenging.
In the almost 40 years that Bill has been conductor, he rarely missed a practice or performance. This level of dedication will be difficult to copy. Bill was fully involved with the band activities. His skill and understanding of audio systems allowed him to properly set up mics to aid the concerts, and he has also recorded the performances. Bill often brought his own equipment to supplement the band, and could be seen carrying and setting it up before a concert.
Bill was usually one of the first people to arrive at the Town Hall for rehearsals, and one of the last to leave. He was very conscientious of making the best use of practice time, working on a variety of pieces each week. By the time we put on a concert, the band members felt confident that they would play the pieces correctly.
We wish Bill our best in his future professional and personal endeavors. He is leaving, knowing that he had an outstanding year with his Spring Concert celebrating the Eclipse, the summer ‘Concert in the Park’ series, and the annual Christmas concert, along with several other performances. Bill is leaving on a high note. We thank him, and we will miss him.