America’s oldest high school band to perform at Amargosa Opera House

A historic American band will be playing at an iconic and storied venue just outside Death Valley National Park next month in what’s sure to be a memorable performance.

“We look forward to hosting America’s oldest high school band,” enthused Fred Conboy, president of the board of directors of Amargosa Opera House Inc.

The Christian Brothers Band, founded in 1872 and based in Memphis, Tennessee, is the oldest high school band in America.

The band’s reenactment group, the Christian Brothers Silver Cornet Band, which performs in classic attire and uses traditional instruments, will travel to rural California to perform at the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel on Saturday, March 14, for a matinee show at 2 p.m. The Amargosa Opera House and Hotel was founded by famous dancer and artist Marta Becket.

“The style of this band that you’re going to see is unlike any other you’ll see from any high school band across the country,” Christian Brothers Band Director Patrick Bolton told the Pahrump Valley Times.

Bolton further shared that the band has played in 30 states so far and is currently on a quest to play in all 50. During the band’s upcoming trip, they are set to play in six more states, including their first-ever performance in California at the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel.

“We’re going to play traditional American works that really hail back to the turn-of-the-century, post-Civil War era songs,” Bolton said about the upcoming performance in Death Valley Junction. “Also, we’ll play some things like Stephen Foster works, like ‘Yankee Doodle,’ and things of that nature. We’ve got a nice blend of popular music of that time, as well as some patriotic stuff.”

Tickets to the event are free and can be obtained by contacting the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel’s front desk at (760)852-4441. There is a limit of four tickets per order.

“We’re really excited to play for y’all,” Bolton added.

The Amargosa Opera House and Hotel is located at California Highway 127 and State Line Road in Death Valley Junction, California.

For more information about the Christian Brothers Band’s upcoming performance, contact frontdesk@amargosaoperahouse.org

Visit cbhsband.org for more information on the Christian Brothers Band and the group’s history.

To learn more about the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel and Marta Becket’s legacy, visit amargosaoperahouse.org.

Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com