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Scotia Band Remakes History

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At 7:30 pm Friday April 23 the Scotia Band will delight Humboldt County music audiences and historians alike when it rekindles “Music Night” in the “largest log cabin in America,” Scotia’s Winema Theater. This will be Scotia Band’s celebratory kickoff concert for its 75th Anniversary year. Don’t miss it!

The original Scotia Theatre was already open by January 7, 1916 when the Italian film, “Cabiria” was presented to an eager audience of lumber mill families. Four years later, however, a spectacular new Tyrolean-style redwood building designed by architect Alfred Henry Jacobs was built pursuant to the vision  of The Pacific Lumber Company’s president Chauncey W. Penoyer: the Wi-ne-ma Theater. This 600-seat theater was inaugurated November 2, 1920 with the silent film “The Village Sleuth,” accompanied by M. Edith Thompson.

During the new theater’s first decades, community “Music Nights” were held to showcase community talent. By 1935, Scotia Band was born.  and together the Winema Theater and the Scotia Band developed into Scotia institutions. And now, the newly-remodelled theater and the Scotia Band, outfitted with brand new uniforms in anticipation of their Anniversary, will meet again.

Today’s Scotia Band, directed by Michael McClimon, is an independent non-profit corporation reaching well beyond the limits of Scotia. It’s open to anyone with a love of music and a wind or percussion instrument. Its regular rehearsals take place at Fortuna High School and for recent performances the band has travelled as far north as HSU and as far south as Scotia and Rio Dell.

Scotia Band’s “Music Night” program will include a wide assortment of American music from John Phillip Sousa, to traditional folk songs, ragtime, and jazz favorites. In the spirit of the earliest community music nights, the group will be punctuated by guest artists Jimmy Piehl (banjo), Russell Shorey (didgeridoo), David Demant (vocals), Matt Beck (trumpet), Matthew Brown (piano), and Ken Hoard (dance). A slide show of historic photos of the band and the Town of Scotia will be ongoing throughout the evening.

Tickets are available at the door. All proceeds will benefit the band’s Sewell Lufkin Memorial Scholarship, awarded yearly to a promising young musician graduating from an area high school. The Winema Theater (www.townofscotia.com) is located on the corner of Main and Bridge Streets in Scotia; take the Scotia exit from US 101. For a variety of information about the Scotia Band–including its 2010 performance schedule, historical notes, photos–check out the website at www.scotiaband2.org.

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