The Southern Oregon Concert Band began as the Hillah Temple Shrine Band in 1909. Over the years, it has evolved into a broad-based community band, with players from a dozen or so communities in the Rogue Valley of southern Oregon. This all-volunteer ensemble meets Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 at South Medford High School in Medford, Oregon.

For some recent pictures of the group, visit our Photo Gallery.

The Southern Oregon Concert band performs music from many categories to please our audiences, including original band music, quality transcriptions of the best orchestral music, pops selections, marches and patriotic music.  We wish to communicate with our audiences and leave them with a warm feeling. Occasionally we will introduce a piece that challenges the audience and the musicians more than usual, but we will not compromise on the quality of the composition.

The band’s members range in age from high school students to as old as …well, almost that old, and come from all walks of life. We have players who are or have been professional musicians, others who are hobbyists, and still others who, for example, played in high school, put the instrument away while pursuing a career, then after decades of letting it gather dust in the closet decided to get it back out and start playing again. We have a mother-son duet (the mother was the first woman attorney in Jackson County, the son is in real estate), a World War II combat photographer and correspondent for the “Stars and Stripes” in the European Theater, and several retired and active music teachers.

The first book on the band, People and Notes, was published in 1994. Four years later People and Notes II, Bert Webber, editor,  was published to reflect new membership. The book is available in Oregon State Library and the Library of Congress, among others. Persons desiring to purchase copies may be able to do so as supplies last, through any popular bookseller as the ISBN [1-878815-08-3 for People and Notes II]. Tuba player and professional photographer, Preston Mitchell, did the photos in the book.

The band is an Oregon non-profit corporation, qualified as tax exempt IRC 501(c)(3). Donations are tax deductible subject to the Internal Revenue Code. If you wish to make a donation, please refer to the Support page.

Following are a few articles and reviews of the Southern Oregon Concert Band.

Veterans Day concert article by John Darling, Mail Tribune Tempo, November 6, 2009

Centennial Celebration Concert, article by Richard Moeschl in Mail Tribune Tempo 5/14/09 (also appeared in Daily Tidings Revels)