Article 1.

A Bit of  History.

Does anyone know who is considered the “Father of the American Band”?

The “Father of the American Band” is Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore.

Patrick Gilmore was born in Ireland in 1829.  He discovered the beauty of music on a visit to Athlone with his father where he saw a British military band performing.  This introduction led him to change the direction of his life from the priesthood to studying music.

In 1848 he and his brother immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts where he joined a local band.  From there, he moved through the years to several different bands.  With the Charlestown Band, he became known as the “best trumpet player in the East”.

Of all of the songs he wrote, one is particularly familiar to the general population and that is “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”, which he composed after Gettysburg.  The tune, “John Brown’s Body”, he set to music; it was later rewritten with the same music by Julia Ward Howe and became “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”.

During the Civil War he trained about twenty bands in Massachusetts, and, he and his band served in the Carolinas.  After the war he organized several elaborate festivals with 500-1,000 musicians and 5,000-10,000 singers.  He introduced the concept of using cannon “to mark” the beat.  The

first two festivals were successful, but the celebration in 1872 which was spread over several weeks was a financial disaster.  Though it did establish Gilmore as a “national musical figure”.

          After he joined the 22^nd Regiment Band in New York, he started a tradition.  Every December 31^st on Times Square as his band played, Gilmore would fire two pistols into the air on the stroke of midnight.

          Patrick S. Gilmore died in 1892 while on a band tour.  He was buried in the Old Calvary Cemetery in New York.  It was reported that on the night of the funeral, John Philip Sousa “dedicated his performance to the late Gilmore”.

Article 2.

“A Tribute of Newell H. Long” Concert.

Indiana University School of Music presented a concert, March 7, 1999 at the Musical Arts Center devoted to Newell Long.  There was a small but appreciative crowd on that Sunday afternoon as the wind ensemble played three pieces composed by Newell along with pieces by Sergei Prokofiev, Warren Benson, Donald Grantham, and John Adams with a Sousa march to close the concert.  Ed Long conducted one of his father’s pieces, Descantation, composed in 1960.  Charles Webb, former Dean of the School of Music, said a few words before the start of the second half of the concert.

Article 3.

Biographical Sketches: Families in the Band.

          “Me play violin”.  David Wonder, 1983.

          Believe it or not, those words were David’s first sentence.

          Ken (who has been known as Jake ever since his parents were overheard calling him that when they came to visit) Wonder moved to Bloomington in 1971 to work for RCA.  He is from the Buckeye State.

          Jake and his two sons, David and Tommy, have joined the Bloomington Community Band for this year’s “tour”.  All three enjoy music very much.  Jake now works at the Navsea facility at Crane as a test director for Microwave Devices and Radar Systems.  David (a junior) and Tom (a freshman) attend Bloomington South High School.

          Jake also plays with the Bloomington Brass Band and has been with them since 1988.  David started with violin in 1983 studying with Donna Bricht.  He now performs with the Hoosier Youth Philharmonic and South Orchestra, as does his brother Tom, who started with violin in 1985 with Donna, and has played bass violin since 1993 in the fourth grade at Lakeview elementary.  Dave and Tom also have played with the Bloomington Brass Band as percussionists.  Dave is now playing cornet with the Brass Band.  Even though music is a big part of the Wonder life, David is a photography editor for the High School Yearbook and Junior Student Council Representative.  For recreation, he is a forward on the Bloomington rugby team and is an avid bicyclist and cross country runner.  Tom (know as “Fridg”) is a lineman for the Bloomington South Panther Football squad, first baseman and pitcher for the South Baseball team, and wrestles for the Panther Wrestling team (where he has learned to defend himself from his brothers at home).  With baseball season just starting, Tom may have to miss out on some of the band activity for a month or two.  Tom is the youngest of three sons.  James, the oldest, is a guitarist and not in the band yet, but serves the music community as fervent consumer.

          Jake got his start in music with piano lessons at age 8 and played trumpet since he was in the 5^th grade in school.  Upon graduation, he decided to make a career in electronics instead of music.  Still, he has managed to play keyboards for numerous bands in the Bloomington area before getting married in 1976 to Marta, his wife of 23 years.  “It’s her sacrifices that really made music a reality, with all these music lessons and instruments to purchase.”  Jake, David, and Tom, besides playing with our band, perform in a group known as “Wonder & Sons”, providing dinner music and entertainment in the local area.

                                                                   Jake Wonder, writer

Article 4.

Tidbits.

          3/15:  Association of Concert Bands’ convention is upcoming.  We will have a large tent for the 4^th at the Pops concert.  Sponsorship is being solicited.  The 4^th of July Parade will be 2-3:00 PM.

          4/19:  The Harrodsburg concert is the weekend before Memorial Day.

Comments and/or suggestions: