About This Year's Presentation

Writeup as featured in the 1947 edition of the Official New Year’s Day Program

The Quaker City String Band was organized in the year 1921 under the direction of Mr. Charles Richner. The band quickly became one of the top notch bands of the Mummers' Parade, but was disbanded in the year 1925. About 50 members of the old band then formed a String Band consisting of themselves and about 40 men from Wildwood, N. J. This band was named the Wildwood String Band. In those days the Wildwood String Band was one of the best bands in the Mummers' Parade, but after winning second prize so often, decided to change its name from the Wildwood String Band to the Philadelphia String Band. After parading for one year under this name, they disbanded, and it was then that the new Quaker City String Band was reorganized with many members of the old original Quaker City in line. The new Quaker City quickly became one of Philadelphia's outstanding musical organizations and became what is known in Mummers' circles as the “Band to Beat”.

The band won first prize in 1935,1940, 1944, 1945 and narrowly missed making it three years in a row when they finished second and were barely beaten out by the James Durning Band in 1946. Since the reorganization of the band, it has been under the leadership of Captain Raymond Endriss, who last year won the Best Dressed Captain award and we would like to serve notice that this year will be no exception. The Quaker City will still be the band to beat.

The Quaker City String Band's presentation will be entitled "Legion of Peace," and will be composed of 80 men, 70 playing members and 10 "front" men under the direction of Captain Raymond Endriss. The band will be attired in regular band uniforms, consisting of coat of wine color, trousers of gray gabardine trimmed with white, with a Sam Browne belt of white, and a citation ribbon of white on shoulder. On the pocket of each coat is the band's insignia, Q.C.S.B. A cape of gray has white satin lining fastened to the shoulder. Each member will wear white shoes and white gloves. The costume is strictly Military Legion Style. The drill is entirely new and is under the direction of Carl Shiffer. The band marches toward the judges in the form of a Lorraine Cross, then reverses back to Market Street and comes back in regular formation. The Musical Director is John Mayer.