Our History

This all-volunteer orchestra traces its beginnings to the Fall of 1940, when six members of the Delmar Methodist Church met to provide music at their monthly Men’s Dinner.  By 1942, the group had grown, and the name Delmar Methodist Men’s Orchestra was adopted.  As numbers increased beyond church membership, the name became simply The Delmar Men’s Orchestra.

In 1961 the Orchestra received national recognition when a feature article on the orchestra appeared as the centerfold in the Saturday Evening Post under the title of “Amateurs All.”  Ten years later, women and students were welcomed, and the name changed once again, to the Delmar Community Orchestra.

In 1984, rehearsals were moved to the Bethlehem Town Hall, where every Monday evening, more than 50 musicians come together to practice in preparation for concerts at area churches, nursing homes, senior residences, and the Bethlehem Town Hall.

In recent years, the orchestra has enjoyed the musical leadership of some of the Capital District’s most talented young music educators, including ESYO conductors David Beck and Joseph Gumpper, and South Colonie School District’s Peter Cannistraci.