About Us

The Durham Sauntering Band is a roaming community ensemble of about 15 musicians who bring joyful, brass-forward music to the streets of Durham and surrounding towns. We’re not a marching band—we saunter. That means we move at a relaxed pace, interact with the crowd, and make music that’s welcoming, energetic, and fun.

Our repertoire is delightfully eclectic. One minute you might hear New Orleans brass classics; the next, Abdullah Ibrahim’s African Marketplace or a lively take on Harry Belafonte’s Jump in the Line. We’ve also been known to surprise audiences with creative arrangements of favourites like the Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black.

We began in 2017 as part of an Interference Ensemble performance in Holstein’s iconic non-motorized Christmas Parade. For that first snowy adventure, we pulled small sculptural floats behind us while performing music by Doug Tielli—and we had so much fun we decided not to stop. The Durham Sauntering Band was born: a community-powered, not-marching brass band with a big heart.

Our members come from all walks of musical life—seasoned professionals, committed amateurs, and enthusiastic beginners. We play mainly at outdoor community events: Pride parades, Earth Day celebrations, farmers’ markets, and town fairs in and around Durham. We’ve travelled to nearby towns like Guelph, Hanover, and Owen Sound, and once fulfilled a music lover’s final wish by joining local musicians to play New Orleans–style, second-line music at his funeral, including When the Saints Go Marching In and St. James Infirmary.

Some of our music comes from community bands that share charts online—like New York’s Rude Mechanical Orchestra. Other tunes we learn by ear and arrange together under the patient guidance of our talented band leader, Steven Morel. We also perform original compositions written by band members.

We don’t wear uniforms—costumes are more our style. At Halloween we get spooky, in winter we bundle up, and in summer we might turn up looking like a colourful carnival. Occasionally, we like to pop up on street corners without warning—just to make someone’s day a little brighter.
The band is entirely volunteer-run and powered by people who simply love making music together. Want to join us? Dust off that trumpet or sax in your closet and come to a rehearsal—we welcome new players of all levels!

 

Past and present members include:

Zena Curwain
Steven Morel
Jenny Parsons
Tony Masset
April Baker
Grace Bridgman
Gary Diggins
Chris Palmer
Joe Passion
Anna Gruda
Brian Searson
Dan McGee
Robin Rich
Heather Saumer
Doug Tielli
Terry Shabot
Christine Berry
Marisol Forand
Sam Milligan
Geoffrey Shea
Geoff Hewitt
Lee Papineau
Kris Kennedy
Rosemary Crick
Davina Ross
Jeremy Gruda
Robin Armstrong
Will Paulino