HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-06-26, Page 84BETTER ORDER NEEDED
With the advent of the band concert season,
a few words of well-intentioned *advice may
not be out of place. There are many people
who visit the parks for the purpose of listen-
ing to the music of the band, who would like
an opportunity to enjoy the programme under
comfortable• conditions. Unfortunately, 'how-
ever, there are many others who seem to
regard the band concert merely as a chance
to turn thrir youngsters loose to make all the
noise and disturb as many people as they can.
At many band concerts the disorder created-
by the hundreds of children who romp around
and over those who are trying , to hear the
music is indescribable. The parents of these
youngsters are more to blame than the chil-
dren themselves, and for the bene4it of music-
lovers they should endeavor to 'Impress upon
the little ones the desirability of keeping
quiet while the band is playing. If they
must romp, let them do so in the intervals'
between the numbers of the programme, when
they will cause the least annoyance. Certain-
ly under conditions such as • prevail at many
parks the bands are handicapped in their
efforts to give an enjoyable concert, for their
pianissimo passages are lost in the noise and
confusion of the crowd.
4*.
...PROGRAMME.
Xusical Festival
to be given under auspices of
SEAFORTH CITIZENS' BAND
VICTO IA PARK
Th 1rsdap Evening, 29th,' 1920
litV THE E
because MUSIC is the GREATEST TONIC in the WORA;13,
as you listen to it if you are only halfway natural and norfrial,
you are affected by it.
COLD. HOT, calm, rough, tender, hopeful, tragic, melancholy,
enthusiastic-4ill emotions are expressed and created by music,
We are just coming to realize the powers of this natural
God-given force, equally powerful and eloquent to all races, in
all nations, irrespective of language, religion, color or financial
condition.
CALL AT THE :00TH FOR REFRESHMENTS
CHILDREN BUY THE WELL-FILLED CONES
ADMISSION FREE
Those that have an appreciation of Good Music,
higher refinement, the finer things of life, love a
Rose.
DALTON L. REID ERNEST L. BOX
President.
0.0".••••••••,/,n••••,•••0.4,/,
Sec.-Treas.
Advice to b ind concert ndiences
on a 1920 program.
MY •
u
The first band shell at Victoria Park,
from an 1887 sketch.
Congratulations
to SEAFORT after 100 Ye
We are happy to be a part of
Se forth's Past and Future
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, JUNE 26, 9975 —11
444
Goniniock's generosity meant
i;
Band concerts in Victoria Park since 1
By F. C. J. Sills
The scene of a great deal of
musical pleasure has been
• Victoria Park where different
band shells have been erected
over the years for the performing
musicians.
The land was originally
donated by Dr. Gouinlock to the
town to be used as a park. The
surrounding land is all part of the
Gouinlock Survey and shows on
all the deeds affected. It is
interesting to note that this same
Dr. Gouinlock is quoted by Pierre
Burton in his book "The Last
Spike". He is quoted in regard to
the speculators boom in Winni-
peg in 1882 when everyone was
awaiting the railroad and all its
implications of high profits.
The first band shells were
circular, open on all sides and
worked on the premise that the
sound would go out in every
direction and also that you could
locate it in a central position and
thereby serve the greatest
possible audience. The story goes
that one of our local inebriates,
trying to get home, wound up in
the park with one hand on the
bandstand as a guide. He
evidently kept going round and
round for sometime before realiz-
ing he was getting no where and
decided to try some other direc-
tion.
The study of acoustics for band
shells had come to the fore and a
very good shell was erected at the
CNE grounds in Toronto. Sea-
forth had decided to erect a new
stand so Ernie Box and some
other band members were, sent to
Toronto to investigate theirs.
This was in 1924.
The committee took measure-
ments in Toronto, came back to
town and a band shell on a much
smaller scale but with the same
proportions was erected,. The
result is the one you now see in
the park. It may look very plain
on the outside but when the doors
are open there isn't a structure
for miles around that is acous-
tically better than it. A person can
sing from within it without benefit
of loud speakers and still be
'reasonably heard at, a distance.
In fact you had to be very careful
what you said when you were
sitting in the band.
I remember one Sunday night
that the acoustics worked to the
disadvantage of the conductor. At
most concerts we would finish
with a Hymn followed by God
Save the King. In this particular
instance time was running short
and 10 o'clock finishing time was
close at hand. The conductor gave
us instructions to play a particular
march and as soon as it was
finished be prepared to swing
right into The King. Somebody in
the back row said "What about
the Hymn?" the reply from the
conductor came back "To hell
with the Hymn". The question
and reply came out loud and clear
to the audience and the ti tter that
went up was very obvious and
created quite a stir.
Over the years the band
concerts were played regularly
every week during the summer
and it was usually a Sunday
evening. Many visiting bands
have Used the stand as well as
political and July 12th celebra-
tions, amateur programmes and it
was also used for several years for
the Band and Legion Garden
Party. This latter event was the
forerunner of the Lions Carnivals
that are so well known today.
The original band shells were
positioned very close to where the
Cenotaph now stands. When the
Cenotaph was erected after the
first World War the council
decided to put the new band shell
at the other end of the park, no
doubt to take advantage of a
larger area for benches and also
suit the terrain.
In recent years the park has
been used as a haven for people
looking for a shady spot. Some
picnic tables have been provided
and many people working up
town have used it as a quiet place
to eat their lunch.
Many impressive Remem-
brance services have taken place
at the park in spite of the
glowering skies that often occur
at that time of year. The haunting
memory of the Last Post seems to
linger in the air and your mind
goes back to Henry Swan playing
on a real army bugle and then up
See the
1975
Seaforth
bands in
Centennial
P r e*!
through a series of cornet and
trumpet players to the present
when it is usually broadcast
through loud speakers from a
record. In whatever fashion it
comes it still grips your - heart
strings and releases a flood of
memories.
One Armistice Day before the
2nd World War it was so cold we
adjourned to Cardon's Hall to
hold the service. When the band
attempted to play on the way
there all the instruments were
frozen except 2 clari ts and the
drums - the resulting music was
chaos.
Dr. Gouinlock showed great
foresight in giving this asset to
our community and it is to be
hoped that the people will cherish
it and take care of it and not give
way to those that scorn it and
wish it sold for financial gain. It
is another part of our heritage
that is important for the future
and must not, become part of the
Passing Parade.
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