Petrolia Concert Band

Despite the loss of the Canadian Oil Company sponsorship, the band continued, and Percie Cox remained as bandmaster. A Windsor Daily Star article (written by Norm Sutherland) on April 30, 1960, notes that the all but one or two of the senior band's members have received their instruction from Mr. Cox. The year 1960 was his 20th year with the band.

To help with the band's finances, the town council put up $700 for three concerts per year. The band charged for travel and playing at other venues, and bingo games run by Bill Anderson and Jim Hibbert, members of the band, brought in other funds. But band records from 1960 on show a pre-occupation with financial concerns.

Records from 1960 show that the band was active in concerts in Petrolia, Wallaceburg, Wyoming, Oil Springs, Owen Sound, Kenwick on the Lake; an annual tattoo in Thedford and in Sarnia, the Emancipation Celebration in Windsor, a Santa Claus and a boy scout/girl guide parade. Ray McNabb (later a trombone player in the Lambton Concert Band) was the manager of the band at that time, and Norm Sutherland (currently a trombone player in the Lambton Concert Band) was secretary (in 1961, he assumed the role of manager). Bob Hext (later a clarinet player in the Lambton Concert Band along with the Forest Excelsior Band) was treasurer. Les Clifford, a long time trumpet player with the band, was the assistant director. Another role in the band was the band sergeant who would enforce rules in the band. Arnold Bradley held that role. The concert band ran three different "organizations": a senior band that had 25 members, a junior band that had 15 members, and a beginners class that had 20 members. One of the memorable players was Big Bill Kushnir, the bass drum player, who would pound out the beat.

Bob Hext started in the band on clarinet at 11 years old. In high school, he played the saxophone in the school band and clarinet in the school orchestra. Norm Sutherland also started in the band at 11 years old on a borrowed E flat horn. Rick Hext started on clarinet at 9 years old. All three boys took lessons from Percie Cox and started in the White Rose junior band. They said "everyone" joined the band and took lessons from Mr. Cox. In elementary school, their lunch hour was 90 minutes. Everyone went home for lunch. Their mothers ensured that 30 minutes of that lunch hour was spent practicing their musical instrument. Once they moved into the senior band, they said it was thrilling to be playing music with experienced, accomplished players.

The band would always play a hymn first to warm up.

At every band concert, dress appearance was just as important as the music. Pressed pants, clean clothes, and a belt washed white were all necessary. There was a summer as well as a winter uniform. At one concert, says Bob Hext, one of the percussion musicians was scheduled to be featured in a solo. Percie Cox was talking to band members on stage just before the concert and noticed that the percussion musician was not wearing the white belt. He had left it at home. Percie Cox ordered the musician off the stage and removed that solo piece from the concert.

Percie Cox stayed active in the band practically until his death in 1969. And the band also collapsed. Its music was donated to Geoff Gander at St. Patrick's Catholic High School in Sarnia.

The town's 1974 centennial parade became a nostalgic call for a reunion of the band, and Gerry Walker, former band member got some other former band members to play in that parade. This was the last official parade for the band. That group, with the impetus from Norm Sutherland, got going and called themselves the Petrolia Music Makers. They rehearsed in Petrolia's United Church (since Les Clifford was a member there) and in the Anglican Church (since Gerry Walker was a member there). The band lasted for over ten years, and then it dissolved once Gerry Walker passed away. It got resurrected by Pete Sambell as a brass quintet. This group still exists today; they sometimes call themselves the Lambton County Brass or the Well Tempered Five.

See Edward Phelps, Charles Whipp, Lee Pethick. Petrolia, Ontario, Canada 150 Years 1854 - 2004. Petrolia: Van Tuyl and Fairbank, 2004. p. 139 - 141.

The photo below shows the Petrolia concert band uniforms as the band marches (contributed by Pete Sambell). The uniform consisted of green pants with a red side stripe, a white belt, white shirt and tie, red jacket, black shoes, and a red hat.