Summer 2026 Friends of the Yankee Brass, Inc. Newsletter
2026 Concert Tour
| Tuesday, July 21, 7:00pm | Merrimack Historical Society, 10 Depot Street, Merrimack, NH Sponsored by the Merrimack Historical Society |
| Wednesday, July 22, 6:30pm | Taylor Community, 435 Union Ave, Laconia, NH Sponsored by the Taylor Community |
| Thursday, July 23, 6:30pm | Benson’s Park Amphitheater, 19 Kimball Hill, Hudson, NH Rainsite: Hudson Memorial School, 1 Memorial Drive, Hudson, NH Sponsored by the Friends of Benson’s Park |
| Friday, July 24, 5:30pm Friday, July 24, 6:30pm | Presentation: “The American Brass Band: A History and Instrument Demonstration” Concert: St Andre Bessette Parish Hall, 2 School St, Amesbury, MA Sponsored by Hodgie’s Ice Cream |
| Saturday, July 25, 2:00pm | Union Church, 133 Old Church Road, Claremont, NH Sponsored by the West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts |
What to Expect from the Yankee Brass Band in 2026
The Yankee Brass band returns to New England in 2026. It is especially exciting to be performing during the United States’ Semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Our concerts will not only be performances of historic American music, but they will also be in locations that were home to many of our nation’s important historic events.
Chester is a patriotic anthem sung during the American Revolutionary War… General Lafayette’s March celebrates the visit of the Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette to West Point in 1825… Our Quick Step was played by the 3rd NH Regiment band during the Civil War… Tenting on the Old Camp Ground was popular during and after the Civil War… Il Trovatore Quickstep was played by the 26th NC Regiment band… Semper Fidelis takes its title from the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps…
To read more about what we are playing, see the latest From the Podium news.
Spotlight on Musicians: Generations
Yankee Brass Band reaches across generations. In 1997, Mark Anderson joined the band on Bb cornet. He has played with the band 10 times, sometimes on cornet and sometimes on alto horn, showing his versatility. Mark is the author of A Sourcebook of Nineteenth-Century American Sacred Music for Brass Instruments which explores the parallel development of the brass band movement and religious fervor in late 19th-century America. In 2025, his son David joined the band on Bb cornet and was immediately captivated by the tone of the ensemble. He is an organist and choir director in western North Carolina, where he has also played and sung with a variety of community ensembles. Much to his cat’s chagrin, he is reasonably proficient with clawhammer-style banjo.
John Beyrent, a PA and NH music educator, joined the band in 1996 on Eb cornet, playing that instrument for 6 years before switching to Bb cornet for another 2 years. John taught instrumental music at Gilford High School from 1985 until 2004. He founded the Belknap Brass Quintet, conducted the Gilford Community Band and the Carter Mountain Brass Band, and was an adjunct instructor at both Keene State College and Plymouth State University. His daughter Heather Doughty, French horn player and Chief Musician in the United States Coast Guard Band, joined the band in 1998 on alto horn, and played for 8 years. Heather’s husband Bryan joined the band in 2000 on Eb bass and played for 7 years, as well as arranging a band tour of CT and MA.
Ken Austin, a professional trumpet player and music educator, joined the band in 1998 on Eb cornet and played for 15 years, 10 of them as solo Eb cornet. Ken recorded a CD ‘The Yankee Olio,’ a collection of 19th century Eb cornet solos with piano accompaniment compiled by Paul Maybery, first music director of Yankee. His son Ben joined the band in 2006 for 5 years on Bb cornet.
The Yankee Brass Band presents 19th century American brass band music using antique brass and
percussion instruments, providing a living history experience.
