Friesland Band Concerts and Pie Socials
The history of the Friesland Community Band. Way back in the late 1800's, immigrants settled in the Township of Randolph, and the community of homes and businesses, located in the middle of the Town of Randolph, took on the name of Randolph Center.
When the Chicago Northwestern Railroad passed through Randolph Center, the residents petitioned the US Postal Service to establish a Post Office. The name was being confused with a neighboring village. Because many early settlers were from the Province of Friesland in Holland( The Netherlands), a tie to their roots provided a suitable new name.
The village had two churches, each with a small brass band. Rather than competing with each other, the members organized a community band in the Spring of 1914. At the beginning, each member paid 50 cents per rehearsal to buy music and pay a director. In 1917, uniforms were purchased.
At the beginning of World War I, there were only two bands in Columbia County, one in Friesland and located in Portage. Each had many requests to appear at fairs, community picnics, War Bond drives, and other patriotic celebrations.
Weekly concerts have been played since 1915. For the past 60-plus years, Tuesday night concerts at 7:30 have been accompanied by a pie and ice cream social. The Pie Social is a fundraiser for the many church and civic organizations in the area. When the director " Strikes up the Band," the 85-plus homemade pies are sliced, the ice cream dipped, and the serving begins.
Our band has always had members who were: father and son, mother and daughter, brother and sister, husband and wife, all very happy making music together.
The Friesland Band plays marches, waltzes, show tunes, polkas, big band tunes, novelty numbers, and even the Chicken dance. Concert time is 7:30 unless the schedule has a posted change. Come and join in the celebration.
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