History of
The Singer Band
Page 1
Note:
These history pages are a collection of stories about the Singer Band compiled from a variety of sources, including items from personal collections, books and newspapers.
We are researching a more complete and accurate history of the band and hope to publish it soon.
In The Beginning...........
The historic Singer Band of Mechanicsburg is the modern-day extension of a band formed sometime in 1854 or 1855. Known as the Keystone Cornet Band, the group changed its name to the Seventh Pennsylvania Voluntary Infantry Band, led by Harry Greaves, when the members joined the service during the Civil War.
The Keystone Cornet Band was one of the earliest musical organizations in central Pennsylvania, and it performed at all public festivities.
The Keystone Cornet Band became The Singer Band in 1862, named for David S. Singer, a cornetist of the time, and enjoyed an excellent reputation for at least three-quarters of a century. There are a few references to the band at least ten years earlier using the name of the Silver Cornet Band, though the historical connection to The Singer Band cannot be established with certainty.