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Dorchester's St. William’s Band to reunite for fund-raiser

Print | Comments () Posted by Patrick Rosso September 22, 2011 12:03 PM

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(Photo courtesy James Burke)

The Saint William's Catholic Youth Organization band in 1972.

By Patrick Rosso, Town Correspondent

Considered one of the best Catholic Youth Organization bands between the 1930s and 1980s, the St. William’s Band was often the center of attention at Dorchester events. On Saturday night, band members will be reuniting after almost 30 years to focus the attention on a worthy cause.

More than 350 former members of the band, along with friends and family. will gather at Boston College High School in Dorchester to honor the band's late director, Dominic Bianculli, and raise money for the St. William's Band - Dominic J. Bianculli Scholarship Fund.

“The band gave a lot of kids in the Savin Hill area an outlet. It kept us out of trouble,” said James "Jamo Burke," former drummer for the band and director of the scholarship fund.

The St. William’s band, which disbanded in 1982 because of a lack of money, was an influential part of Dorchester life for three generations and Bianculli was key to the program.

“He was a guy of great motivation and perseverance. He never said no to anybody and spent most of his adult life giving back to the community,” Burke said.

Although Burke was only in the band from 1963-1973, he said many former members took something special from their time playing.

Even with all the excitement of old friends and a chance to listen to recordings from their youth, the real motivation for the night is to help local students get a chance to go to college.

The scholarship fund has already awarded one scholarship this year, to Anna-Catherine Brigida, a Dorchester native and soon-to-be Boston Latin alumna.

“She really fit to a T the type of person we were looking for,” Burke said.

Following the performance, Saturday’s dinner will help raise additional funds for scholarships to other Dorchester students and expansion of the organization.

“My vision is to go beyond scholarships and start helping out a variety of organizations that help involve local students with music,” Burke added.

The St. William’s Band reunion and Scholarship Fund dinner will be held Saturday Sept. 24 at BC College High. There will be a Mass at the BC High at 6 p.m. The dinner will follow 8 p.m. until midnight.

The event is open to the public, and tickets are $75. All proceeds will go toward the Saint William’s Band - Dominic Bianculli Scholarship Fund.

For more information email jamoburkeband@yahoo.com or visit their website.

E-mail Patrick Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso.

(Photo courtesy James Burke)

Anna-Catherine Brigida along with James Burke and her mother Jean Gould.