Music on the street

Both Corfiotes themselves and visitors to Corfu view the island's wind bands as an integral part of the local cultural dynamic. For their part, the locals are proud of this tradition, which is unique in Greece. In turn, visitors are impressed by the bands' striking turn-out, especially during the Easter celebrations with which they are-rather one-dimensionally-associated. However, the visitors are even more impressed when they learn something which the Corfiotes simply take for granted: the bands generally consist of musicians who don't play for a living, are almost universally private associations, and provide music tuition to all their students free of charge. The musicians' only obligation is to participate, when they are asked to, in preparing the bands for the activities and events it takes part in-given, of course, that they have responded satisfactorily to their musical training. [...]

Contents

• Corfu and its wind bands
• The Corfu Philharmonic Society ("Old Philharmonic")
• The "Mantzaros" Philharmonic Society
• The "Omonoia" Philharmonic of Gastouri
• The Philharmonic Association of Skriperoν
• The Musical Artistic Union of Lefkimmi
• The Philharmonic Society of Lefkimmi
• The "Spyros Samaras" Philharmonic of Korakiana
• The Sinarades Philharmonic
• The "Lorentzos Mavilis" Philharmonic of Aghios Matthaios
• The Cultural and Progressive Association of Kynopiastes
• The Liapades Philharmonic
• The Avliotes Philharmonic
• The "Kapodistrias" Philharmonic Association of Corfu
• The Karousades Philharmonic
• The "Saint Nikolaos" Philharmonic Association of Lakones
• The Thinalia Philharmonic
• Bandmasters
• Selected Bibliography