John Birchler to direct 2010 Grade School Music Festival
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Former Chester Band Director, John Birchler, will make a return performance in Chester this Thursday, April 8 when he directs the 2010 Grade School Music Festival. The annual event is being hosted by Sue Colonel, current Chester Grade School Band Director.
The festival rotates around the participating schools and 2010 is the year for Chester Grade School to host the event. It is the responsibility of the hosting school to arrange for guest directors to direct the two bands involved in the event. John Birchler will direct the 7th and 8th Grade Band while Nick Liest will direct the 6th Grade Band.
The event is being held at Chester High School where there is plenty of room and accommodations. The 6th Grade Band will rehearse throughout the day in the CHS Band Room and the larger 7th and 8th Grade Jr. High Band will rehearse in Colbert Gymnasium.
Colonel expects 135 musicians to participate in the Jr. High Band while there should be approximately 100 members in the 6th Grade Band. Musicians will arrive at CHS early in the morning Thursday, April 8 and rehearsals will last throughout the day.
Participants will bring a sack lunch for the noon meal and they will return to their homes to clean up, dress and eat supper. Following their brief break they will return to Chester High School for the evening performance. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and last approximately an hour. The public is invited to attend.
Five schools will participate in the 2010 Grade School Music Festival including Chester, Sparta, Steeleville, Trico and Evansville. Over the years other schools have come-and-gone, but Chester has been a participant since the early days of the event back in the 60's when the event was called the Tri-City Band Festival.
Birchler was a key leader and organizer in the early years of the festival and will undoubtedly enjoy returning as a guest director decades later. Birchler retired from Chester High School and went to Gibault High School in Waterloo where he taught and revolutionized that music program before retiring for good several years ago.
Birchler was also the Chester Municipal Band Director for more than 35 years prior to his move to Waterloo. Back in the 60's Birchler was also the leader of a very popular dance band, "The John Birchler Orchestra" which performed at weddings and club dances throughout the Southern Illinois and Southeastern Missouri towns.
The 2010 Grade School Music Festival is open to the public and admission is FREE. Former band students and friends of "Mr. B" should take advantage of the opportunity to come and hear some wonderful music and renew old acquaintances with one of Chester's great music icons, John Birchler.