Albion priest will direct marching band for song at festival
ALBION – After the Strawberry Festival Parade on June 14, the Albion Marching Band will perform in food court and a familiar figure to the community will direct the band for a song.
The Rev. Richard Csizmar, priest at Holy Family Parish, will take the conductor’s baton for a song. He is the winner of an “Elect the Conductor” contest and will lead the band in a performance of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by the rock group Queen.
Marching band members raised $4,000 selling tickets for $1 each for people to vote for one of six guest conductors. The fund-raiser helped pay for the band’s trip to Philadelphia.
Father Csizmar was the top vote-getter, outpolling Tom Rivers, editor of the Orleans Hub; Joe Martillotta, retired teacher and former owner of The Crooked Door restaurant; Amy Sidari, owner of Gotta Dance by Miss Amy; Jerome Pawlak, owner of Pawlak’s Save-A-Lot; and Charlie Nesbitt, former state assmeblyman and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
“It’s just a fun, inexpensive, and unique way to support the marching band,” said band director Mike Thaine. “The kids have had a lot of fun with it.”