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After two years in the role, Mark Parsons recently stepped down as band director for the Holland ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Welshmen Community Band, and Christine Blanchard has taken over.

Maria Driscoll, coordinating director of the Holland ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ School of Performing Arts and a member of the band committee, said the Welshmen and the college appreciate all that Mark has done to develop the band.

“Although sad to see Mark leave, the Welshmen are looking forward to playing under Christine’s direction,” said Driscoll. “Christine is a highly respected music teacher and band director. We are confident that the band is in good hands.”

Blanchard is the music teacher and director of bands at Bluefield High School in Hampshire, P.E.I.  She has been teaching at Bluefield for 20 years, directing the concert bands, jazz band, and show band.  One of the highlights of those years was taking her high school band on a performance exchange to Cuba in 2011.  In addition to teaching at Bluefield, Christine has adjudicated wind band festivals in Newfoundland and directed the Nova Scotia Junior Wind Ensemble.  She has studied wind band conducting with Dr. Gerry King, Dr. Karem Simon, Dr. Mallory Thompson, and Dr. Dale Lonis.  She has also played trumpet in the UPEI Wind Symphony prior to 2004.

The Welshmen welcome new members to join the band at their Tuesday evening rehearsals at Charlottetown Rural High School. In addition to playing two concerts a year, some band members have been involved in drum lines, pep bands for football games and a jazz band. The next Welshmen band concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on April 14 in the gymnasium of the Centre for Community Engagement on Holland ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ’s Prince of Wales campus. Admission is free, but donations of dry goods for the student union food bank are greatly appreciated.