Since its founding in 1971, WJU Members have proudly participated in what has evolved as our core mission: Preservation of, Education about, and Performance of the music played in traditional American Circus and Wild West Shows. Founders and early Members referred to the organization as “My Windjammers,” “Windjammers,” “My Windjammers Unlimited” and similar monikers. During the 1980s and 1990s and the era of acronyms, some simply said “MyWJU” and “WJU.”
Whatever you use, Windjammers Unlimited is here as the authoritative source and repository for all things circus music.
Join WJU today! We look forward to hearing from you.
A Word from the WJU President
You won’t want to miss the summer meet in Baraboo in July. Baraboo is where the Ringling Bros. founded their first circus. Thanks to that heritage, we will be presenting concerts in locations that perfectly mirror our goals of preservation, education and performance.
In Baraboo, we will present concerts at Circus World, the Wisconsin Historical Society’s circus museum located at the site of Ringling Bros. original winter quarters. As a bonus, Baraboo is home to current and retired circus people who appreciate the importance of the unique music created for their art form. We couldn’t ask for more enthusiastic and attentive audiences.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in Baraboo in July.
Windjammers Summer Meet, Baraboo, Wisconsin, July 11-16, 2023
Save the date, more details coming soon.
Click for more 2023 Summer Convention Information
1973 WJU Convention Band (the first!) Audio Recordings Now Online
Clyde Beatty – Cole Bros. Circus bandmaster and trumpet player Charles “Chuck” Schlarbaum joined WJU as Member #61. He was the driver behind our first Annual Windjammers Unlimited Convention, which was held in Key Biscayne, Florida in January 1973. Chuck conducted the band.
Now you can listen to any or all of the playlist from that first WJU Convention in Key Biscayne, Florida in January,1973. Thanks to Max Goodall II (WJU #1005) for donating to Windjammers his cassette tapes of the recordings made for those sessions. The recordings were done by then-WJU president Robert P. Hills, Jr. (WJU #71) via his company, Buckeye Sound System. Thanks next to Eric Beheim (WJU #66), who converted the cassette tapes to mp3 audio format and provided the 164 files (!) on CD and flash drive. As our media editors, Rod Everhart (WJU #1351) and Allen Lawless (WJU #3847) then handled the mechanics of getting those files onto our website so our members can now listen to them. So, we encourage you to go listen to the 1973 Windjammers bands.
Bob Hills served three terms as our president and played both tuba and piccolo. Further, he composed a number of tunes using his R. Paul Harper pseudonym. The 1973 Convention included his tunes Fra Mauro March, El Rey March, Windjammers Unlimited March, and Echoes from the Big Top.
To listen to the 1973 Convention recordings, be sure you are logged in as a member of WJU. Then follow this link. WJU Recordings. If you are not yet a member, click this link to join. JOIN WJU
“May all your days be Circus Days!”
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This site was last updated on: March 23,2023
Most recent Post: 2022-04-14 @ 23:42
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