By Jim Hornby This selection of historical pictures of Island musicians does not claim to be fully representative of musical life here in days gone by. However, these pictures, most of which have not been published before, do represent the variety of our musical past and are interesting in themselves. While s o m e of the earlier photographs cannot be dated very exactly, the period covered is roughly 1875-1911. Understandably, not all areas of the province can be represented in this period. Another limitation is that most of the photos are quite formal portraits, emphasizing town over country, the schooled musician over the kitchen dance-player. Thus, while I have found no old pictures of two of the simplest and most popular instruments the mouth organ and jew's-harp a number of bands and orchestras of the late 19th century are so depicted. In the true pioneer days, before the earliest of these pictures was made, music-making on the Island seems to have consisted mostly of songs, and tunes on such portable instruments as the fiddle and flute. Music was an activity for everyone to enjoy, whether at work or play, alone or at a community get-together. About the middle of the 19th century orchestras and brass bands came onto the scene in Island towns and villages. These were mostly the activities of men but a 1908 photo of the Alberton Ladies' Brass Band can be found in Footprints on the Sands of Time, (p. 180). Although music became increasingly a specialized field of endeavour, the tradition of home-made music in parlours, kitchens, churches and community halls continued to flourish until the arrival of radio and later television. 20 Professor H.W. Vinnicombe's Orchestra, circa 1893. Vinnicombe was a member of the Charlottetown Orchestral Club in the 1870s and '80s, forming his own orchestra sometime in the latter decade. He was a violinist from Exeter, Devonshire, who came to the Island in 1867. The members of the 1893 group are as follows: (left-right) FRONT ROW: Judge J. Hyndman, Thomas Davies, Henry W. Vinnicombe, Frederick Newson, Daniel Gordon. SECOND ROW: J.O. Arsenault, Oswald Hornsby, James Johnson, Frederick Scott, Wallace Knight STANDING: - Rodd, W. Gillespie, Albert Mitchell, Pope Fletcher, Morris.
F o l l o w i n g is a c o n d e n s e d reminiscence-of the band that appeared in The Maple Leaf (Oakland, California) in March, 1940, describing one of its first public appearances: The great event was the opening day of the Prince County Exhibition. The Summerside Brass Band had been engaged to parade certain streets that morning, terminating the march at the exhibition grounds, where the products of the farm were on display. The bandsmen promptly assembled at their headquarters on Central Street to receive final instructions from their leader, Thomas B. Huestis, and have their instruments tuned up. The reputation of the band was now at stake. The eyes of the whole town and county, from Nail Pond to the Irishtown Road, would be upon that group of nervous stalwarts. The three musical compositions, so long and faithfully practised, must be executed in faultless marching order. Down Central Street they marched, heads high and the bloom of youth on every face but oh! what a difference! Blowing horns and beating drums on practice night, while sitting on chairs in the assembly room was one thing, but marching down the street was another. Central Street in those far-away days, unlike the fine paved streets in the town today, was rough and rocky, with three deep furrows in the centre, caused by hoofs of horses and various sizes of wagon wheels, with grass growing on the ridges between. This made marching no easy matter. One of the boys was not noted for his precision in marching, in fact he was often out of step, and was on this occasion. The player following in the rear, who happened to be Watson Clarke, became somewhat annoyed, as he was having trouble enough with his own feet. While rounding Strong's Corner, across the street from the Clifton House, and turning east on Water Street, Watson picked up a small rock from the ground and threw it into the alto horn a few steps ahead. The player did not notice anything wrong until false notes began to come from the instrument. But nothing could be done then the march must go on. When the band turned up Granville Street and headed for the old Drill Shed where the exhibition was being held, the concourse of country people became so dense that the brass and drums could scarcely be heard. Angus McLellan turned to the bass drummer and shouted: "Give it to her!" He did. A few more beats and in went the head of the drum a most embarrassing moment for the drummer. Harry Compton and his big bass horn saved the day at that critical juncture. After a struggle through the crowd the band was escorted to the platform reserved for it. The drum idly reposed on the platform with the damaged side up, at a time when it was so badly needed. Next day the drum could be seen in the book-binding department of the Journal office where a large piece of vellum and a generous application of hot glue was used to repair the damage and make it serviceable for the balance of the summer and the engagements on skating nights in the old Drill Shed during the winter months. Courtesy Public Archives of PEI The Summerside Brass Band, 1903. The band was organized about 1882, and seems to have come to an end by the First World War. 21
The Island's most famous graphic artist, Robert Harris, "took great pleasure in music, and was able to play the violin, the flute, and the cornet.... When the Fathers of Confederation gathered in Charlottetown for their now famous discussions, young Robert was a member of the orchestra which played at a ball given in their honour." Harris' favourite instrument seems to have been the flute, which he often played in duet with fiddlers. One of these was his brother, the architect William Critchlow Harris, who fiddled with such enthusiasm that Robert wrote: "Brother Willie fiddled so much that it made him late for meals. But no, no, he doesn't play it before breakfast. Why? Because he can't play in bed, and it is all I can do to get him up in the morning." In 1884 Robert exhibited a painting entitled "The Canadian Fiddler." It would be nice to be able to present it here, but unfortunately its location is unknown, if it still exists. The advantage of a painter's representation of music-making is best seen in one of his most famous pictures, "The Local Stars." Singing is not represented in any Island photos of this period. Young Man with Musical Instrument. Painted in a studio on Queen Street in Charlottetown. 22
The Local Stars, ca. 1888. Supposedly based on activities of the choir in the school at Long Creek. Bessie at the Organ, 1891. The artisfs wife shared his enthusiasm for music, as had his mother. The Banjo Boy, undated. 23
Courtesy Sr. Antoinette Desroches Joseph u Joe Placide" Arsenault of St. Chrysostome, in 1899. The Doctors Kennedy and Maloney, place unknown. 24 Unknown group with auto harp.
Nathaniel P. Stromberg, circa 1885. Stromberg had also been a member of the city's Orchestral Club, and in later life organized and conducted a boys' band in Charlottetown. His son John Stromberg was quite a noted musician and orchestra leader, and was part of the early history of Broadway musicals. He wrote music for Weber & Fields shows in the 1890s starring such performers as Lillian Russell. One of his songs, "Fiddle-Dee-Dee," was recorded by Al Jolson and Bing Crosby among others. This unidentified musician eloquently represents the parlour tradition of music-making. Probably late 19th century. The instrument he is playing is a bit unusual: a 5-string banjo with a mandolin body. 25
Sources Thanks for the pictures are due to the individuals and organizations given photo credits. For information and assistance to John R. MacKinnon and J. Henry Gaudet, and to Dr. Moncrieff Williamson and Judy MacDonald of Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum. The Robert Harris quotes are from Moncrieff Williamson's Robert Harris: An Unconventional Biography. Special thanks to Barb White and Lawrence McLagan for photographic copying. js Courtesy J Henry Gaudet The Tignish Band about 1900. Proceeds from this group's concerts paid for the first wooden plank sidewalks in Tignish. From left are FRONT ROW: Jim Gallant, Master Hackett; MIDDLE: Larry Perry, John A. Hackett, Joe Octave Arsenault, ; BACK: Albert Perry, J. Albert Brennan, Ben Richard, Sir Charles Dalton, Eddie J. Gallant, Capt. Frank Gallant. Courtesy John R MacKinnon The Pastime Club at St. Peter's, 1911 This was a social group of about 60 men and boys from Charlottetown that often went on camping trips to St. Peter's, and sometimes to Morell or Grand Tracadie. The group lasted from about 1906 to shortly after the First World War. Only the following have been identified. Sitting (from left): Ivan Hughes, Heckbert Hughes, Harry Murphy (with mandolin case). Standing: Anthony Reardon (4th from right), MacNutt (3rd from right). 26