USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The town and city of Waterbury, Connecticut, from the aboriginal period to the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five. Volume III > Part 53
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Being well rid of the " fogy " element, the young folks clustered around the new postle of harmony, and very soon imbibed much of his inspiration and enthusiasm. Ir. Ives was young, and, as we have said, very enthusiastic. He had adopted music-teaching as a profession and was bound to succeed. He was contemporary
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with Alling Brown of New Haven, who for many years led the Centre church choir in that city with great success. The style of these two gentlemen was somewhat different, but they labored in harmony for a higher standard of church music, and united in the compilation of a new book to meet the wants of the advance move- ment. "The Choral Harmony " was the name of the book, if I mistake not. It was adopted and used by both these masters, and contained many excellent tunes, some of which are still sung in our churches.
Mr. Ives's style was a great contrast to that which preceded it. That, as we have said, was slow and dragging; Mr. Ives's was lively and full of animation. His movement was quite staccato and his accent prominent and decisive. The time was felt rather than measured; hence, the short, quick beat of the leader instead of the old swinging pendulum beat. In his school he made use of the violoncello to aid him in the labor of instruction, his voice being of itself inadequate to the task, and his immoderate snuff-taking adding to the difficulties of securing clearness in vocalization. He found no trouble, however, in conveying his ideas to his pupils, and the end of the season showed that what had been learned was well learned and that the new order of things had been fairly inaugurated. So great was the attach- ment between teacher and pupils, especially the young lady pupils, that at the formal leave-taking, which took place in the ball-room of the old Mansion House on the day of the closing concert, much sentimentality found expression through quiv- ering lips and bedewed eyes.
The first concert ever heard in Waterbury was given under the direction of Mr. Ives by his pupils at the close of his engagement, as already alluded to. "Sing- ing exhibitions" were occasionally given, but a musical concert-who ever heard of such a thing? The concert of Mr. Ives was given in the old Congregational church (now Gothic hall) and passed off with much éclat. But I cannot recall to memory the prominent sopranos who figured on the occasion, nor many of the tenors and basses.
BANDS AND ORCHESTRAS.
Prominent and powerful as a factor in sustaining and develop- ing the musical life of the community have been the brass bands. Condensed accounts of the more important are here given.
The first brass band in Waterbury was organized about 1828, and was called JEWETT'S BAND, from the name of the instructor who came to the town once a week to conduct rehearsals. These rehearsals were held in the "ball-room" (then so-called) in the old Franklin building. At one time there were thirty-five or forty members, among whom it is of interest to note the names of S. M. Buckingham, I. E. Newton and his brother as playing bugles; three or four of the Baird family; E. J. and A. C. Porter; Harry Bronson, Gaius Hitchcock and Darius Hitchcock. No definite records have been found of this organization, but it was the only band in exist- ence until 1840.
THE WATERBURY BRASS BAND, of which Newton Hine was the leader, was organized in the autumn of 1840, with the following members:
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Newton Hine, Eb bugle; J. H. Sandland (secretary and treasurer), G trombone, and later bass tuba; George Tompkins, cornet; S. E. Harrison and J. P. Goodwin, Bb bugles; A. S. Upson and Hobart Churchill, French horns; Norman Steele and C. B. Merrill, trumpets; L. T. Downes and W. A. Morris, Bb trombones; Edward Terrill and J. P. Jeffrey, ophicleides; L. Austin and Milo Hine, second Bb bugle; Dennis Chatfield, bass drum; William B. Dunbar, cymbals; Henry Chatfield, snare drum.
The first meeting for practice was held at Mr. Hine's residence, corner of Grand and Canal streets, but the members of the band soon came to the conclusion that their ultimate success would require instruction and drill from a competent teacher. Through an advertisement in a New Haven newspaper, such a teacher was found in the person of Salvator Rosa, who was engaged at a salary of about $18 per week, Signor Rosa furnishing music and arrang- ing it for the band. He proved to be a most acceptable and satisfactory instructor. Aided by subscriptions from friends, the members of the band hired a room on the upper floor of Chitten- den's hotel (page 222). The south part of the upper floor was par- itioned off for bed-rooms for transient guests of the hotel, who must have had some trouble in getting to sleep before the "wee sma' hours." After a time the rehearsals were held at Mr. Sand- land's, on East Main street beyond Dublin street, and later in a building which stood where Bohl's block now is. The greater part of the expense was met by the players themselves. Their first concert was given in Gothic hall, "tickets twenty-five cents."
Being considered for several years the equal of any band in the state, they were in constant demand for military, firemen's and society parades, and in their season political conventions. Their principal business was found in New Haven, Hartford, Middletown und Litchfield. They travelled with a four horse team, and often t night had to search for the road with lanterns. The members of the band were for the most part young, and nearly all were Connected with church choirs. The last two occasions of their ppearance in public, so far as known, were to meet the first pas- enger train over the Naugatuck railroad in 1849, and at the Fourth f July celebration in Bridgeport, the same year. There is abun- ant evidence to show that the organization was remarkable for evotion to music for its own sake, its members often and cheer- ully making up deficiencies in the finances from their own pockets; nd it was also noteworthy for the friendly feeling which existed etween the members, who cared for each other in sickness and. eemed to know nothing of the traditional "jealousy " of musicians.
During the period from 1850 to 1854 there was not much done in le way of building up or carrying on a band; but on April 25,
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1854, began the record of the justly celebrated TOMPKINS BAND .* The rehearsals were held in the engine house of Fire Company No. 2; C. S. Todd was the first secretary, and by June 8 (George Tompkins having been engaged as instructor) "there were in all fourteen blowers." There are many entries which suggest that Mr. Todd must have been, to say the least, "quite a character." Undoubtedly overcome by the severe rehearsal, at one of the earlier meetings, he pitifully finishes with these words: "I feel so sleepy I can hardly write." Additions and changes in the membership fre- quently occurred, and from 1856 to 1859 there was no systematic record kept, although the band had numerous engagements. At the latter date, the bookkeeping came into the able hands of D. H. Abbott, the name appearing as "Tompkins Cornet band " and the members being as follows (a list worthy of preservation):
L. Milleaux, James Sandland, Hobart Churchill, H. H. Blish, George Tompkins, William Grilley, Willard Tompkins, Joseph Sandland, James Gilbert, Charles Curtiss, William Tucker, George Boughton, J. H. Abbott, Frederick Tompkins, Frank Tompkins, D. H. Abbott. After a short time the names of J. S. Thorpe and Henry W. French appear.
There was plenty of work for the band to do during the Lincoln campaign,-in addition to twelve concerts given on Centre square, during the summer of 1860, in recognition of the public interest manifested by subscription for uniforms and in other ways. In May, 1862, Mr. Abbott resigned his position as secretary, and H. W. French was elected to the office. The band was in constant demand at home and abroad, and without doubt had no superior, if any equal, in this part of the country. Bridgeport, Milford, Litchfield and New Haven are but a few of the towns to which they were con- stantly called. Frequent engagements also were made with the students at Yale college for class reunions, " biennial jubilees," etc. The records indicate a very pleasant and neighborly custom of serenading their friends, among whom it is interesting to read the names of O. H. Stevens, W. H. Cooke, H. C. Griggs, D. L. Smith, J. S. Elton and Charles Miller (both newly married), F. B. Rice and E. G. Snow. At a meeting on August 4, 1862, it was voted to offer the services of the band to the governor of the state, to be attached to some regiment, and in the autumn of 1864 they were accepted and appointed to the Second regiment. The band played April 25,
* They adopted at first the name of "Waterbury Brass band;" later they called themselves " Waterbury Saxe-horn band," and appeared under the well remembered title in 1859. That Mr. Tompkins and others were devoting themselves also to the advancement of music in other quarters appears from the following minute in the records of the First society for December 31, 1855: "Voted that we hereby present to the orchestry connected with our society (consisting of George Tompkins, Nathan Cooke and William Morris) a cordial vote of thanks for their services in the past, and request them to remain at their posts in the future."
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1865, for the Fifty-second regiment, New York State militia, the occasion being the funeral procession in New York in honor of President Lincoln. On May 3 of the same year, they were with their regiment at Hartford at the inauguration of Governor Buck- ingham, and on June Io escorted the surviving members of Com- pany C of the Fourteenth regiment of Connecticut volunteers and of Merrill's band to the Scovill house, where all were entertained. During the summer of 1865 a series of concerts was given on the Green, which were, it seems, warmly appreciated by large audiences. On October 14, 1865, the band started for Philadelphia, having an engagement to play for the Good Will Steam Fire Engine company of that city, on the 16th. The march was over twenty miles; "but the boys stood it well to the end," going on duty, at 8 in the morning and getting through about 10 in the evening.
From March 11, 1866, until October 4, Mr. French was relieved at his own request from his duties as secretary, and F. P. Somers was appointed. On October 27, 1866, a new constitution was adopted, which did not seem to meet the approval of Mr. Tompkins, who informed the band that "he had got through with them." J. S. Thorpe was elected in his place, and evidently the organization continued to prosper. The new leader was certainly acceptable, for on January 6, 1868, he was presented with an elegant watch and chain, which bore the following inscription: "Presented to James S. Thorpe, as a token of regard, by the members of the Second Regiment Band; Waterbury, Conn., January 1, 1868." The organization sold its property and gave up its rooms on February [, 1869. It was a most remarkable band, famous and in great request, as this condensed sketch indicates. Mr. Tompkins was a porn leader, full of snap and vim, and was fortunate in having inder him so many excellent musicians and faithful men.
The records of MERRILL'S BAND (so-called from its leader, C. B. Merrill) are incomplete, and a full résumé of its career, from the organization in 1855 to the enlistment as musicians of a majority of the members in Company C of the Fourteenth regiment of Connect- but volunteers, in 1862, cannot easily be made. Upon the roll of membership appear these names, many of them familiar, some for- otten:
C. B. Merrill, J. G. Merrill, E. C. Blakeslee, J. G. Jones, Cornelius Gibson, eorge Doolittle, Henry Downs, F. P. Somers, John Lines, John Bryan, M. Kel- a, Alfred Carpenter, W. O. Guilford (solo alto), Hobart Churchill Walter Morgan, homas Harper, Thomas Painter, Charles Keasel, Phineas Warner, Keron aherty, William Blake, George Hayden, William Laird, G. E. Somers, S. B. ne, O. R. Clark, A. B. Nichols, S. M. Sperry, Henry Hofmann, W. H. H. Johnson, uis Senglaub, William Rackliffe, J. Van Siegler, B. F. Merrill, Reuben Snagg.
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The band was a rival of the Tompkins band, and undoubtedly the contests for superiority were stimulating to both organizations. There was much good material in Merrill's band, the nerve being always existent, but the bone and sinew sometimes lacking. The life of any musical organization is dependent, more or less, upon the character of its leader; and while Mr. Merrill was a man of unquestioned ability, the band would probably have had a more vigorous existence had he possessed certain qualities which musi- cians as a class are very apt to lack. Mr. Merrill was not inclined to be sharp or severe as a director; he was perhaps too easy, but it is certain that no one of the musicians in our city can ever hope by the mere mention of his name to bring up more genial smiles and pleasant words than Charles Merrill.
In 1876 James S. Thorpe, one of the leading musicians of the city, and a teacher chiefly of piano-playing, brought together some twenty orchestral players, and without any formal organization, and with some slight assistance from neighboring cities, gave several concerts, from 1876 to 1879. The association was known as THORPE'S ORCHESTRA. Mr. Thorpe (one of the most competent musicians ever resident in Waterbury) conducted the orchestra in all its rehearsals and concerts, and did a vast amount of work in arranging and transcribing music for the players. The programs were of a high order, including at least ten overtures and eight or nine symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and others, and they were well performed. The success of the orchestra can only be fairly estimated when its influence upon young musicians, at the period in question, is known and appreciated. Many of them undoubtedly trace their love for the best in music to some stimulus from the work of this organization. The personal care and respon- sibility proving too much for the director, the public performances of the orchestra were discontinued in 1879.
THE ORPHEUS CONCERT COMPANY was organized in September. 1887, with the following officers: President and leader, W. E. Pier- pont; treasurer, Charles G. Belden; secretary, George Ballard; stage manager, Thomas J. Eyman. The company was made up of three musical organizations which had existed for some time previously -namely, the Arion quartette, the Waterbury Banjo club and the Orpheus Instrumental quartette-together with Charles T. Grilley. recitationist, and E. F. Laubin, pianist. The members of the Arion quartette were Thomas J. Eyman, John Kunkel, Henry Ahl and William Mason. The members of the Waterbury Banjo club were: Banjos, W. E. Pierpont, H. L. Daniels, T. S. Lewis, Paul Heinze and W. J. Sandland; guitars, Charles G. Belden and Hugo Possner;
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banjolin, George Ballard; mandolin, Jacob Kaiser. The members of the Orpheus quartette were: Charles G. Belden, guitar; Hugo Possner, guitar; George Ballard, banjolin; John Strube, zither. The company's first entertainment was given in Watertown, and it was repeated in Seymour, Torrington, Thomaston, Woodbury, New Haven, Bristol and smaller towns. After a career of about four years the company disbanded.
THE PIZZICATI CLUB was organized in September, 1888, by eleven young ladies, as follows: Banjos, Mrs. S. W. Chipman, Mabel Smith, Cornelia B. Maltby, Florence Lynde, Jennie M. Rogers, Ella Hart; guitars, Abbie S. Kingman, Jennie Blakesley, Nellie L. Bronson, Elizabeth H. Kellogg; zither, Jennie White, leader. The name Pizzicati, which signifies "picking strings," was adopted as appro- priate. After four months of faithful practice, part of the time with an instructor, the club made its first public appearance on the last evening of the year (December 31, 1888), when it played between the acts of "A Scrap of Paper," a play given by amateurs under the auspices of St. Margaret's school. This was the first of many calls to assist at entertainments of various kinds, mostly with a charitable purpose. The services of the club were always cor- dially given and it was popular both for its excellent musical abili- ties and its generous responsiveness to all demands upon it. It received invitations to play in Torrington and in New Haven, which were accepted. It was also invited by Mrs. Theodore Thomas to send representatives to the World's Fair at Chicago in .892-an invitation not accepted but highly prized. The organiza- ion is still maintained (1895) and weekly rehearsals are continued vith general regularity, usually of late with the accompaniment f afternoon tea. But owing to the social or home cares of the nembers public appearances are now rare. Some of the members ave changed their names since the organization of the club, some ave withdrawn and a few new ones have been added. The active membership in 1895 was ten, as follows: Banjos, Mrs. S. W. Chip- man, Mrs. J. B. Doherty, Mrs. C. E. Turner, Mrs. W. H. Hoffman, ornelia B. Maltby, Ella Hart, leader; guitars, Mrs. I. H. Chase, Nellie 1. Bronson, Abbie S. Kingman; mandolin, Mrs. E. H. Williams.
THE ENTERPRISE BAND was organized August 1, 1890, with seven- en members and the following officers: President, C. S. Mix; vice- resident, Willis Jackson; secretary, William Anthony; treasurer, . E. Freeman; leader, H. L. White.
THE AMERICAN BAND may be said to have been organized on ovember 10, 1891,-although for some time previous to that date members had been struggling to make headway. On the day
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mentioned, Francis H. Blake took charge of affairs, and soon suc- ceeded in enlarging the membership, and making the band, within a year, one of the best in the state. Mr. Blake resigned in 1893, and the services of Howard C. Eaton were secured. Under his leader- ship the band has continued to improve, and has given many con- certs, both out-of-doors and within doors, besides being in constant demand for parades, balls and the like. There are from twenty-five to thirty members.
THE IDEAL BANJO CLUB was organized August 15, 1893, with the following members: J. J. Derwin, banjo and leader; Wesley Hend- rickson, banjo; William Kirschbaum and Charles Mast, mandolins; Frank Ball and S. O. Klobedanz, guitars. S. O. Klobedanz is manager.
THE CRESCENT ZITHER CLUB was organized February 1, 1894, with the following members: Max Sondermann, leader ; Charles Kopp, Frederick Kirschbaum, Arthur Gross and Paul Kluttig.
Other organizations which ought at least to be mentioned are Hallam's orchestra, the Amphion orchestra, the French Canadian band, White's orchestra, the Waterbury Zither club and the Matta- tuck Drum corps. Some of these remained in existence but a short time; others, with a constantly changing constituency, have pre- served their organization for years.
SINGING SOCIETIES.
Of the singing societies of Waterbury, we can note only those whose existence seems worthy of consideration because of results manifested.
THE MENDELSSOHN SOCIETY was organized at the house of J. P. Blake, April 18, 1851,* at which time a committee of five was ap- pointed to prepare a constitution and by-laws. The committee reported at a meeting held "in the court room," May 8, 1851, and the society having adopted a constitution, officers were elected as follows: President, D. F. Maltby; vice-president, J. P. Blake; secre- tary and treasurer, J. W. Smith ; director, T. I. Driggs. The mem- bers of the executive committee were Abram Ives, Nathan Cooke. George Tompkins, J. B. Merriman and T. I. Driggs. Within the month following, forty-nine persons signed the roll, the initiation fee for men being one dollar, and women being admitted without
* An earlier organization-but apparently of little account-was known as the Waterbury Oratorio. The only record discovered thus far is in a minute of the First society, dated December 31, 1842,-according to. which the society's committee was "authorized to admit the Waterbury Oratorio into the basement room of this church upon such terms as said committee may think proper."
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charge. A payment of ten dollars made the donor an honorary member, and he with his family was entitled to free admission to concerts. At the first rehearsal the "Opera Chorus Book" was used, and the instrumental accompaniment was furnished by Martha Starkweather (now Mrs. A. S. Chase) at the piano, Mr. Ives and Mr. Hine, violin; " cornopean," Mr. Tompkins; flute, Mr. Merrill and I. N. Hall, and violoncello, Mr. Morris. An item partially erased from the record gives the additional information that "Mr. Cooke was present with his double bass viol, but, one of the strings giving way, he was obliged to 'hang up his fiddle ' for the remainder of the evening." The rehearsals were held in the academy (see page 519). At the semi-annual meeting, November 6, J. W. Smith was elected vice-president, and A. M. Blakesley secretary, the latter on account of absence from town being succeeded on November 22 by A. S. Upson. On November 29 the society appears to have procured copies of the Boston Academy's Collection of Choruses. The first concert was given on December 17, 1851. At the meeting of the society on May 6, 1852, Nathan Cooke was elected president, J. W. Webster vice-president, A. M. Blakesley secretary and treasurer, and J. H. Sandland conductor. A vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Driggs for his services as director, and it was voted that the society buy a "double bass." The next concert was given in Gothic hall October 13, 1852, Mr. Sandland being the conductor, and Miss Starkweather (Mrs. Chase) the pianist. Choruses and instrumental numbers from Italian operas formed the main part of the pro- gramme. At the election of officers on November 4, G. W. Cooke was chosen president, H. W. Benedict vice-president, A. M. Blakesley secretary and treasurer, J. H. Sandland conductor. At this time the rehearsal room was changed to Gothic hall.
The next public appearance was a "Dedicatory Concert" on August 3, 1853, in Hotchkiss hall. The program was of much the same character as that of the preceding concert under the same conductor and pianist. At the meeting held on August 4, G. W. Cooke was elected president, Newton Hine, Jr., vice-president, A. M. Blakesley secretary and treasurer. On August 29 a vote was passed to buy a piano from Mr. Driggs. From this time Hotch- iss hall was used for rehearsals. The next concert recorded was iven on November 1, 1853-with Mr. Driggs at the piano and Mr. andland as conductor. Among the solo singers it is interesting to ote the names of Charles Dickinson, J. W. Smith, Miss Ainsworth afterward Mrs. G. N. Granniss), and Miss Hurlburt (now Mrs. G. L. 'ownsend). At the election of November 3, 1853, the same fficers were reappointed. On the evening of December 5, the
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oratorio of "Daniel " was put in rehearsal, the music of the work having been composed by G. F. Root and W. B. Bradbury. When this work was given, Mr. Sandland directed the concert and Mr. Driggs was at the piano. The society seems to have returned to Gothic hall for rehearsals about this time.
At a meeting on May 4, 1854, J. W. Smith was elected vice-presi- dent, and Charles Dickinson conductor. In November of the same year Mr. Sandland was made conductor. From this time, concerts were given both at home and in adjacent towns, at which miscella- neous programs were presented, including one or two Psalms by Mendelssohn, Baker's cantata " The Burning Ship," and Romberg's "Transient and Eternal." The society never presented a complete oratorio. A. M. Blakesley resigned as secretary and treasurer on January 26, 1857, and Asaph Hodges was elected to fill the vacancy. Mr. Driggs had charge of many of the rehearsals about this time, although Mr. Sandland was again elected conductor May 7, 1857. At the rehearsal of June 8, 1857, there is a record that T. A. Spin- ning of Bridgeport acted as accompanist. Mr. Driggs was elected conductor in May, 1858. A vote was passed to hire the room of G. N. Granniss for rehearsals, and E. G. Howard was asked to take the position of pianist. From May, 1859, to October, 1861, the interest of the members appears to have languished and several meetings for elections and other business were passed by. In the autumn of 1861 there was a revival of interest, and in May, 1862, G. L. Townsend was elected president and A. M. Blakesley vice- president, the other officers continuing in their positions. Re- hearsals were held and concerts given during the early part of that year.
No further record appears until May, 1866, when the offices were filled as before, with the exception of a change from Mr. Hodges to R. M. Smith as secretary and treasurer. On the evening of May 2, 1867, a concert was given in Hotchkiss hall, with a chorus of thirty- seven voices and an orchestra of twelve pieces. The audience was large and the financial result satisfactory. At the meeting of May 29, 1867, the Rev. R. G. Williams (see page 524) was chosen presi- dent, Nathan Cooke, vice-president, R. M. Smith, secretary and treasurer, T. I. Driggs and J. H. Sandland, conductors. Some rehearsing was done during the spring of 1868 but apparently with- out much enthusiasm. At a meeting in January, 1869, these officers were elected: J. W. Smith, president, Nathan Cooke, vice-presi- dent, R. M. Smith, secretary and treasurer, D. H. Abbott, con- ductor. The room of the Young Men's Christian association, then in the building opposite the post office, was hired for rehearsals.
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