Please note: This blog post has drawn upon information from photographic and print resources whereby the names of managers and deceased persons from former orphanages, secure health institutions, and penal institutions may have been mentioned. Also, there are depictions of the recreational activities of such institutions described in this blog post.
Introduction:
The clock in the prison tower strikes the hour of midday. The prison brass band – a dozen trained prisoners – has fallen in on the grass plot in the central quadrangle. At a signal from the official in charge it bursts into an inspiring rendition of Off to Glory march. There may be dilletante criticism of the music’s aesthetic quality. There can be no doubt of its volume and its lilting spirit. (“A NEW PENTRIDGE.”, 1923)
In the previous post on bands in institutions, music was seen as a worthwhile recreational activity whereby listening to music or making music was very much encouraged. This post focuses on one of Australia’s unique bands which was established in Pentridge Prison.
Pentridge Prison really needs no introduction as an institution as innumerable stories have sprung from its bluestone walls. It was not a place that immediately springs to mind as a place for music-making. Yet that is exactly what happened in the early 1920s. Pentridge Prison became the institution that hosted the fourth prison band in the world.
Musical Reform:
Up until the early 1920s, Pentridge Prison was operated like many other prisons in Victoria under the governance of the Penal and Gaols Department. Reports on the on Victorian prisons from this time were not very informative and focused mainly on statistics – the reports of 1922 and 1923 being prime examples (Penal and Gaols Department, 1923, 1924). Conditions for the Victorian prisoners were hardly humane as prisons “had been designed to ensure prisoner separation” (Paterson, 1997, p. 134). However, as Paterson (1997) and Wilson (2014) identified in their respective research papers into the history of Victoria’s prison system, it is in the early 1920s when the Penal and Gaol Department, and Pentridge Prison, underwent a series of reforms. The key to these reforms was prisoner education and music-making was a strong part of this.
Efforts by people such as Mr. Gibson Young, an eminent Melbourne musician with strong managerial skills and an association with the brass band movement, sought to bring music into Pentridge through community singing. In 1921 he had the full intention of running community singing in the gaols.
Now that the Music Week organisation has been placed on a more or less permanent basis, my executive committee is anxious to do all in its power to bring the good tidings of music into every department of civic life, and realises that no better opportunity for upliftment exists than among the prisoners in our gaols. (Young, 1921)
The band:
While community singing was useful as an ad hoc form of recreation and a break in the prison routine, The new governor of the Pentridge in 1922, Major Walter Condor, had bigger ideas and he wanted to form a brass band. His plans were outlined at the of the Tattersalls Club in Melbourne where he was trying to solicit donations for three pianos at Pentridge (“PIANO FOR PENTRIDGE“, 1922). Major Condor, having previously overseen the A.I.F. camp at Langwarrin, had very firm ideas about making Pentridge a much more humane place for the prisoners and introducing educational reforms.
To the strains of “home, Sweet Home,” Victorian criminals may yet be welcomed back to the prisons after new convictions. The provision of music for prisoners is one of the ideals of the governor of Pentridge Major Condor, and he hopes for much from such an experiment in the reclamation of the State’s “Bad Hats.”
[…]
Major Condor said that one of the most humanising things was work, and next to that was music. (“PIANO FOR PENTRIDGE“, 1922)
Ten days later, Major Condor gained further support for a brass band at a conference of the National Federation at Ballarat where some delegates thought it was a very good idea. A Dr. Booth thought his “idea was a good one” and that “It was essential that the prisoners should not only have plenty of work to do, but the mind should be occupied after working hours.” (“A PRISONERS’ BAND.”, 1922). And so, the brass band at Pentridge was created.
At first the band was conducted by Mr. Gibson Young, and he had obviously used his contacts in the brass band movement to get the instruments and music that were needed – the Coburg Brass Band and Malvern Tramways Band were two bands that are mentioned as having donated these items (Cremona, 1923). Mr. Young, who was associated with the Malvern Tramways Band, had apparently “remarked that Major Condor might try to inveigle members of the Malvern Tramways Band into Pentridge to strengthen the personal of his band” (Cremona, 1923). One wonders what Mr. Harry Shugg, then conductor of the MTB, might have thought of this remark (if he knew about it).
An article published in TheHerald newspaper in February 1923 gives us some insight into the way music has begun to transform life at Pentridge.
There are already 15 men in the band. Some of them have had experience in regimental bands, some of have been connected with various bands that are not known in Pentridge. Others have just “taken to music” as the best means of whiling away the time until they can know again outside of the walls. (“PRISON DE LUXE“, 1923)
By April 1923, the work that was taking place at Pentridge was noticed by the Chief Secretary, a Mr. Baird who was most impressed with what he saw in the music-making and the effect it had on prisoners (“IMPROVEMENTS AT PENTRIDGE“, 1923). And some months later, Pentridge was a prison that was well on the way to reformation, all under the watch of Major Condor (“A NEW PENTRIDGE.”, 1923). Mr. Gibson Young, the bandmaster of the prison band and conductor of the community singing, left his position (and Australia) in September 1923 and was presented with a gold-mounted baton by the band (“GAOL MUSIC“, 1923).
Major Condor left the prison in November 1923 to try a new career radio broadcasting (Thomas, 2006). While he had only been governor at Pentridge for eighteen months, he had overseen substantial reforms that benefited the prisoner population and facilities.
He gave the prisoners more healthful surroundings, brightened their quarters, permitted slight decorations of the cells, and with a colour scheme has banished gloom from the long corridors. He gave them a brass band, Saturday and Sunday concerts, taught them games, improved their methods of working at trades by installing electric machinery in the shops, and increased their self-respect. (“MR. CONDER.”, 1923).
On a slightly humorous note, a letter was published in the Labor Call newspaper apparently from a prisoner at Pentridge. In this letter, he provides his ‘opinion’ on the band.
Our brass (very brass) band keeps a fellow from getting the “blues,” except when they play “Home, sweet home.” We are going to petition against the tune, as it only applies to the “Gov.” himself – he has a good home here. (No. —, 1924)
The band at Pentridge prison kept going from strength to strength at from these early years and were noted by all that saw them perform. They were, or course, part of a bigger picture of reform at the prison, and Pentridge was no longer seen as a dull institution (“AN HOUR IN PRISON.”, 1927). The band had established themselves quite a bit over the subsequent years, to the extent that the Governor of Pentridge at the time, Mr. J. Brown, thought that the prisoners at Pentridge led all other prisoners in Australia in their musical abilities – he wanted them to go up in musical competition with the prisoners at Goulburn prison.
Literally there is music in the air at Pentridge every day. An accomplished brass band of 26 instruments, led by Warder George Williams, plays marches and waltzes as the gangs go to and from their labours at the lunch hour. (“GAOL MUSIC DERBY“, 1935)
As can be seen in the cartoon below which was published in Sydney’s Sun newspaper, it seems that some in the New South Wales media took light of Governor Brown’s comments.
The Pentridge Brass Band lost the services of bandmaster Warder Williams in 1938 when he moved to Geelong to become an attendance officer for the Education Department (“FAREWELL TO PRISON BAND CONDUCTOR“, 1938). Depending on which source is accessed, he was the conductor of the band for seven to ten years.
On a side note, when researching this post, this author learned that the Cornet used by Warder George Williams was donated to the Coburg Historical Society in 1988 (McKenna, 2022).
Figure 6: The cornet once owned by Ward George Williams. Donated to the Coburg Historical Society in 1988. Displayed at a presentation at Merri-bek Libraries, Coburg. The photograph was taken by Jeremy de Korte, 19/11/2025.
Evidently, the band was still in operation in the early 1950s as they were mentioned in an article published by The Herald newspaper about the new prison brass band which had been established in Ballarat Gaol (“HARMONY IN GAOL“, 1951). In 1954, the State Government spent £1,000 for a whole new set of instruments for the Pentridge Brass Band (“News of the Day“, 1954).
It is unclear what happened to the Pentridge Prison Brass Band after the 1950s due to a scarcity of available records, and unfortunately, this author was unable to locate a picture of the band aside from the cartoon. However, it is evident that the band had a very positive effect on the prisoners and staff, and that it fitted into the reforms that swept over the Victorian prison system.
de Korte, J. D. (2025). Coburg, Vic. : Merri-bek Libraries – Coburg : Coburg Historical Society presentation – Band Blasts From the Past – Cornet [Photograph]. [IMG_1483]. Jeremy de Korte, Newington, Victoria.
AN HOUR IN PRISON : VISIT TO PENTRIDGE. : Where Gloom is Dispelled. (1927, 14 December). Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 – 1954), 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96058047
McKenna, T. (2022). Pentridge Prison Brass Band. In Jeremy de Korte (Ed.), ([Email from Tim McKenna, (then) Secretary Coburg Historical Society to Jeremy de Korte regarding brass band related items in the collection of the CHS] ed.).
MR. CONDER : CONTROL OF PENTRIDGE GAOL : FAREWELL BY PRISONERS. (1923, 07 November). Northern Star (Lismore, NSW : 1876 – 1954), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93506230
Paterson, W. C. (1997). Victoria’s prison policy 1851-1992: from hulks to unit management (Publication Number 21156) [PhD, University of Tasmania, School of Government]. Hobart, Tasmania. https://doi.org/10.25959/23244737
PRISON DE LUXE : PENTRIDGE MADE PLEASANT : Band Music, Electric Light. (1923, 27 February). Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 – 1954), 12. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243791944
Wilson, R. (2014). Joseph Akeroyd: rediscovering a prison reformer (Publication Number 9921863848301341) [PhD, RMIT University, School of Management, College of Business]. Melbourne, Victoria. https://doi.org/10.25439/rmt.27580911
Figure 1: Photograph: Jack Greaves with pre-WWI Cornet, date unknown. [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]
The history and the heritage of the Australian band movement is well worth preserving and it most certainly should be. (Greaves, 1988)
Introduction:
When the opportunity arises, I like to visit other libraries, archives, and historical societies in my pursuit of band history. Not that there is a hierarchy of collections, but I like to think that all is valuable, and they contribute to a broader history. After many years of documenting this material, one observation I can make is that the history of the band movement in Australia is highly fragmented. From private collections – and I am one who maintains a private collection – to bands, and historical societies, right up to our National Library of Australia (NLA). It is all connected in some way. The challenge is to put it all together in a meaningful narrative.
So, it was with some enthusiasm on my part to visit the National Library on a recent visit to Canberra. I feel I have made good use of the services that the NLA offers during the past years, mainly by using the Trove Archive which connects historical items from across Australia. There are many historical band stories that can be found just by following the newspaper articles of the day and it has been evident that our bands have largely had similar experiences. My posts on this blog, hopefully reflect this.
This post, however, is not a story as such. This post is about the Jack Greaves Brass and Military Band Collection of band ephemera which is housed at the National Library of Australia in Canberra. Through this post I will try to make sense of what I viewed as a collector of band ephemera and band historian.
Jack Greaves:
Admittedly, I don’t know much about Jack Greaves aside from his reputation, his collection, and his output of work. However, with the benefit of a biography in one of his books, we can see how his life in the band movement progressed.
Jack began his involvement with brass bands in 1937 as a member of the Young Australia League Band in Sydney. When that group disbanded soon after the start of World War Two, he joined St George District Boys’ Band and joined St John Ambulance Brigade Band, then under the control of Charles Bignall, in 1943 and was principal horn when they won the B Grade Australian Championship in 1948.
Though Jack ceased playing soon after, his interest in brass bands has never diminished. In particular, he has a profound interest in researching band history, collecting sound recordings and general band memorabilia. (Greaves & Earl, 2001)
The National Library of Australia provides us with some further detail about Greaves in the brief biography on the catalogue entries.
Greaves published a number of books including Legends in Brass: Australian brass band achievers of the 20th century (with Chris Earl, 2001), and A musical mission of Empire: the story of the Australian Newcastle Steelworks Band (2005), and compiled a recording of historical brass band performances titled The great bands of Australia (1996). (Greaves, 2009a, 2009b)
Below is a photograph of the then Young Australia League Band from 1935, two years before Jack joined the band.
Figure 2: Photograph: Young Australia League Band, 1935. (Source: IBEW)
As the biography noted, Greaves did join other bands after his time with the YAL Band. One of the bands he joined as a young musician was the St George District Boys’ Band and he can be viewed in a couple of photographs resplendent in their band uniform. Here we see Jack in the front ranks of the band to the left of the Drum Major, holding a tenor horn.
Figure 3: Photograph: Jack Greaves with Drum Major, 1939. [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]
Interestingly, this is one photograph of Jack Greaves that does have context. The photograph was taken in May 1939 just when the band was about to step off in the May Day Parade. This photograph appeared in The Sun newspaper on the 1st of May 1939.
The information in Greaves’s biography from the NLA does provide details of significant years and information about his publications. He was, to all intents and purposes, one of the first people to research band history with dedicated passion, energy and accuracy. In times past there have been others, and I refer to Cecil Mullen as a case in point. With regards to Mullen, as I basically outlined in my post about him, he was very much the commentator and opinionated at that (de Korte, 2020). But he also worked to provide some valuable statistics, even if other passages of writing in the booklet were questionable (de Korte, 2020). Jack does say in correspondence with Ballarat band identity Bob Pattie that Mullen was “not entirely reliable” in his booklet Mullen’s Bandsmen of South Street, and in his subsequent article, “Brass bands have played a prominent part in the history of Victoria” published in The Victorian Historical Magazine (Greaves, 2003a; Mullen, 1951, 1965).
I have copies of the 1938 Bandsman’s Year Book & Mullen’s South Street book. I agree that the latter is not entirely reliable, nor is his other account of band history published in the Victoria Historical Magazine c1965. (Greaves, 2003a)
Personally, I do think that the program notes and information booklet written by Greaves for the double-CDs of historical Australian band recordings, The Great Bands of Australia, is a much more informative history of the Australian band movement (Greaves, 1996). The band historians I know who are active in this modern era also share a dedication for accuracy, no doubt helped by greater access to information and a desire to maintain the history of the movement and individual bands.
Ever the passionate writer and researcher, Greaves did provide some reasoning as to why he wanted to preserve all this band history. Writing in a contributed article published in the 1988 Australian Bicentennial Band Championships program, he introduces the room that he had set up (at the Nationals venue) with band memorabilia, and also writes,
Regrettably, the story of the community band movement in Australia has never been fully documented. The work performed and the achievements gained by many of this country’s leading conductors and their bands or by the pioneers of the movement during the 19th century is not widely known by present day band people. (Greaves, 1988)
Clearly, he wanted to do something about this. One might call it a passion project. He did eventually write a book published in 2001 highlighting the achievements these said pioneers. If he were alive today, he would probably be pleased that people such as John Whiteoak, Mark Pinner, Veronica Boulton, and the many band members who write up individual band histories have done something. And yet, even now, the band movement is an area of Australian musical life that does warrant more study and research (in my opinion).
Greaves passed away in 2009, and his collection was donated to the NLA for safekeeping and for research purposes. It is this collection that holds a fascination for me and other band historians.
Figure 5: Photograph: Greaves Brothers – Jack, Bill, Jim, in the uniform of the St George District Boys’ Band, c1940. [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]
The Collection:
If one were to look up the NLA catalogue details of the Jack Greaves collection there would be two entries – one for 10 boxes and one for a further 73 boxes (Greaves, 2009a, 2009b). And there is no denying that the collection is a treasure trove of historical band ephemera. I would surmise that there is not a collection quite like it anywhere in Australia. The fact that we can view this at one of our cultural institutions is of great help to historians and musicologists.
The other aspect that is obvious is that Greaves had been collecting band related material for much of his life. In one of his letters to Bob Pattie, he admits as much about his collection of historical recordings.
I started collecting band records back in 1943 and have an extensive collection of what is now referred as “vintage recordings”. (Greaves, 2003a)
Given that Jack appears as a young band member in photographs from 1939, to admit that he has been collecting recordings since 1943 is quite remarkable.
Previous to this letter, Greaves had actually penned an article which he contributed to the 1975 National Band Championship program on his hobby of collecting band recordings.
As a bandsman; I can think of no better hobby than collecting gramophone records, for not only do these provide unlimited hours of pleasurable listening but if the collection includes the older style 78 rpm discs it is somewhat possible to follow the history of the band movement over the past seventy odd years. (Greaves, 1975)
He goes on in this article to talk about all the fascinating recordings he has collected over the years, including what must be some incredibly rare recordings. Tenacious is a word I would use to describe his pursuit of these recordings. Thankfully, we can actually hear most of them on the double-CD set that he produced (Greaves, 1996).
Mentioned in the biography about Greaves in his first book is a note about one of the positions he held as the Historical Research Officer for the Band Association of New South Wales, which he commenced in 1985 (Greaves & Earl, 2001). This gave him an opportunity to put the call out for any kind of historical band material to be part of a wide-ranging collection. In the same article that was published in the 1988 Nationals program he wrote,
The Band Association of N.S.W. is well aware of this and is currently endorsing a state wide search to locate and where possible acquire items of historical interest. These include photographs, contest and concert programmes, newspaper cuttings and scrap books, contest medals, trophies and shields, music by Australian composers, antique instruments and equipment, uniforms, badges and regalia, and so on. (Greaves, 1988)
With regards to the band ephemera itself, which comprises of concert posters and programs, tour information, photographs, competition programs, and anything else printed on paper related to bands, Greaves was a collector of it all. Seventy-three boxes plus an additional ten is an amount to get though. On my visit I booked ahead to look through the set of ten boxes as knew I had limited time. Obviously, I do not know the machinations of the Band Association of New South Wales back then. But it seems that whether Greaves was collecting for himself or BANSW, this collection was combined and provided to the NLA when Greaves passed away.
This is not the first time I had viewed the collection, that was about four or five years ago. My aim in this latest visit was not only to view the collection but to understand where it had come from.
On a first impression it might seem that Greaves had collected whatever he could find that was band related, and that would be an easy assumption. No, Greaves set out to collect historical band material in a way so that future researchers could find things easily and use the material to further our own understanding of where the Australian band movement had come from and where it was going. Greaves (or the NLA) has carefully assessed each item and placed it in an order that is logical, as each box carries a ‘theme’ of sorts, whether that be competition programs from individual states, overseas ephemera, and the multitude of individual bands. Some resources have more value than others. For example, the scrapbook of photographs, programs, and member biographies of the Australian Commonwealth Band are well-worth a look – this scrapbook is a perfect example of the way Greaves went about his detailed research (a digital version of the scrapbook can be viewed on Trove via this link) (Greaves, 2009a).
Figure 6: Postcard: Australian National Band (World Tour) Concert Position : Albert H. Baile, Musical Director, 1926. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection
If I have any observations of Greaves’s collection, it is that it is very New South Wales centric. Understandably, this was because Greaves was based in that state and had reasonably easy access to material from NSW bands. This is not to say he did not collect material from other states, Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom as he felt that it was all part of a much larger picture. Greaves could see the connections and worked to highlight them. It is an Australian band movement after all, and Greaves collected from, and communicated with people from different states.
From parts of the collection is the interpretation and written work. Greaves used his material to produce some valuable band history which goes a long way to help our understanding of this unique history.
The output:
Greaves’s output of work on band history was steady over the years and covered everything from books to articles to entries in historical newsletters. He also was also quite generous with his time as he evidently corresponded with other bands people from around Australia. When reading his work, one cannot help but notice the detail – it is one of the hallmarks of his research.
It is hard to find some of Greaves’s work when undertaking regular searches through Google, but it can be found. I discovered some articles of his in National Band Championship programs, of which digital copies can be found in the Archives section of the National Band Council of Australia website. The earliest of these was in the 1969 program where he wrote an article on the famous Ballarat band composer Frank Wright who’s work “Purcellian Suite” was the D Grade test piece for that year (Greaves, 1969). In 1975, as mentioned, he wrote a long article about his hobby of collecting vintage records and in the 1988 program he wrote about collecting and preserving band historical items (Greaves, 1975, 1988). The 2003 National Band Championships program also contained an article by Greaves on the early bands of Newcastle – perhaps a precursor to his book on the Newcastle Steel Works Band and its trip to England (Greaves, 2003c).
We cannot discount the other historical research Greaves contributed. Bob Pattie was kind enough to post one of Greaves newsletter articles on the life of champion cornetist and conductor, Charles Smith in a 2022 Facebook post (Pattie, 2022). It is also noted in one of the books when Greaves was associated with BANSW he “contributed regular feature articles for their publications” (Greaves & Earl, 2001, p. 4).
It is, however, the books and double-CD set that Greaves is most known for. The CDs were produced in 1996 in conjunction with the Sound Heritage Association Canberra using recordings collected by Greaves. They provide us with recordings of bands from times past, and Greaves wrote the information booklet which is a valuable historical document in itself (Greaves, 1996; Greaves & Earl, 2001).
The two books are also worthwhile contributions to the history of the Australian band movement. Written in conjunction with Chris Earl, Legends in Brass : Australian Brass Band Achievers of the 20th Century (2001) takes us through the biographies of twenty of Australia’s legendary bands people, with the addition of five other sections of Australian brass band history (Greaves & Earl, 2001). This book is not a definitive history, nor does it mention all of the famous bands people who have been a part of this movement. What it does do is provide us with the lives and times of possibly the most influential bands people – those that were performers, composers, conductors, and adjudicators, often at the same time. Greaves & Earl also delve into the histories of women in our band movement, the famous South Street competitions, and our own National Band Championships. Geoffrey Brand wrote the foreword to this book and gives it high praise for its content, but it is some of his remarks that promote this book as an integral interpretation of band history.
Legends in Brass by Jack Greaves and Chris Earl is exactly aimed for all who will enjoy reading about Australian Brass Band Achievers of the 20th Century, offering the opportunity to fill in many details of those who were – and in a few cases still are – standard setters in brass band deeds as composers, conductors and instrumentalists” (Brand, 2001, p. 1).
Figure 7: Photograph: Newcastle Steel Works Band, 1922. (Source: IBEW)
Greaves’s second book was much more thematic as he provides a comprehensive history and story of the Newcastle Steel Works Band and their exploits in England (Greaves, 2005). Here, this book, A musical mission of empire : The story of the Newcastle Steelworks Band shows Greaves at his best historical research and writing. The book was obviously his last major work, and historically, it fits into a time period where the top bands – such as Collingwood Citizens’ and Malvern Tramways, as well as Newcastle – were great rivals and their playing set the musical world abuzz. It is also a book that is still referenced in other material such as blog posts published by Hunter Living Histories, Chris Helm, and in my own posts (de Korte, 2024a, 2024b; Helme, 2017; Special Collections, 2024). The book can still be found, but copies are getting scarcer with the passage of time. With this book it is obvious that Greaves drew upon the resources in his collections with photographs, programs, newspaper cuttings, competition results and even recordings.
Was Greaves working on any other projects? There is material that exists that indicates this was the case. However, time was obviously a factor and Greaves passed away in 2009 leaving later projects unfinished. In extracts from letters to Bob Pattie he wrote,
I am working on several projects at the present time one of which is the compilation of complete details of all the contests held at Ballarat from 1900 – say 1951. The South Street Society, I understand, has never published such a record which I think is very remiss of them. They are such an important part of Australian band history and should be available. (Greaves, 2002)
And in a later letter,
I am enclosing results of Ballarat A grade 1919, 1920, 1921, 1911, 1912, and 1915 also B grade 1912 which involves Ballarat City (E.T. Code) and Warrnambool (Percy Code). These are copies of my drafts for a forthcoming reference book which will contain South Street results from 1900-1951. […] I look forward to completing this in the not too distant future. (Greaves, 2003a)
No doubt a grand project and one that I think Greaves was very keen to do given his criticism of Mullen’s work and his mission to make band history more accessible. What would he have thought of the current South Street online results database and the archival database provided by the National Band Council of Australia? Different times, different methods of researching.
Greaves proved through his output of work that history had meaning and that all the material he had collected could be interpreted and used to inform the reader and draw them in. His detailed works shone light on aspects of band history that might have become lost or forgotten.
Conclusion:
I think, in the near future, I would like to revisit the Jack Greaves Collection again and maybe look through the larger part of the collection – not entirely due to interest in material related to the Malvern Tramways Band (Stonnington City Brass). It is a collection that can draw you in as each piece of paper has meaning and a story. Historically, the collection shows us what musical times were like over a large part of the 20th Century as localities across Australia hosted competitions and contests.
For myself as a band historian, the collection gives me inspiration, even if I started my collection journey later in life. Greaves shows how collection and output are interlinked. I can only hope to produce work that is as expansive as a whole book. One of these days…
Remember that band history is all around us. As important and large as the Greaves Collection is, it shows the collection efforts and priorities of Greaves. Whereas there is always much more to be discovered. In our band rooms, in op shops, in libraries and archives, in historical societies, placed in parks and gardens, or out on the main streets of towns. But the Greaves Collection shows us what can be done when band history is collected over many years and concentrated in one place. Thank you, Jack.
Acknowledgements:
This is a very different post to the work I have previously written, and I do have thank some people for assistance. The first group of people are the Special Collection Librarians at the National Library of Australia. They are dedicated to helping people access collections of archival material and helping with research questions. For myself they were quite happy to chat about my work and provide me with some guidance on where my work could take me. The librarians were also kind enough to introduce me to another brass band researcher who just happened to be in the NLA Special Collections room that day, Gypsy Cook. It was great to meet Gypsy, and I appreciate her insight and knowledge about the Jack Greaves Collection and band journals. Her knowledge of band history and willingness to supply some photographs of Jack is greatly appreciated, and I wish her well in her own work.
References:
Brand, G. (2001). Foreword. In Legends in brass : Australian brass band achievers of the 20th century (pp. 1). Muso’s Media.
Greaves Brothers : Jack, Bill, Jim : In uniform of St George District Boys’ Band [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]. (c1940). [Black & White Photograph]. [PXL_20260313_022324041.MP].
Greaves, J. (1969). Some Notes About the Composter of “Purcellian Suite” : “D” Grade Test. In Australian Brass Band Championships : Presented by Tasmanian Bands League : Member of National Band Council (pp. 41). Tasmanian Bands League.
Greaves, J. (1975). The fascinating hobby of vintage record collecting. In National Band Championships : Sydney 28-31 March 1975 (pp. 38–39). Band Association of New South Wales.
Greaves, J. (1988). Preserving our Heritage. In Australian Bicentennial Band Championships : Bankstown Town Hall, Sydney : Easter – 30th March to 3rd April : presented by : The Band Association of New South Wales (pp. 76). Band Association of New South Wales.
Greaves, J. (1996). The Great Bands of Australia [booklet] [2 sound discs (CD) : digital ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet]. Sydney, N.S.W., Sound Heritage Association Ltd. https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/2372005
Greaves, J. (2002). [Letter from Jack Greaves to Bob Pattie regarding the Ballarat band history book, and future projects]. In Jack Greaves Correspondence (pp. 2–3). Harden, N.S.W.: Bob Pattie Collection.
Greaves, J. (2003a). [Letter from Jack Greaves to Bob Pattie regarding draft material regarding a reference book of South Street results that was being worked on, and other Ballarat band history]. In Jack Greaves Correspondence (pp. 18–19). Harden, N.S.W.: Bob Pattie Collection.
Greaves, J. (2003b). [Letter from Jack Greaves to Bob Pattie regarding vintage recordings and various aspects of Ballarat band history]. In Jack Greaves Correspondence (pp. 88). Harden, N.S.W.: Bob Pattie Collection.
Greaves, J. (2003c). A tribute to the earlier bands of Newcastle. In Australian National Band Championships Newcastle New South Wales : Proudly hosted by Band Association of New South Wales Inc. : April 17th – 21st, 2003 (pp. 29–32). Band Association of New South Wales.
Greaves, J. (2005). A musical mission of Empire : the story of the Australian Newcastle Steelworks Band. Peters 4 Printing.
Greaves, J. (2009a). [Ephemera from the Jack Greaves Brass and Military Band Collection : ephemera material collected by the National Library of Australia]. In Jack Greaves Brass and Military Band Collection ([1857-2008] 8 Boxes. 2 boxes 39 x 60 x 11 cm and 71 x 47 x 6 cm. ed., Vol. Australian ephemera collection (Formed)): National Library of Australia.
Greaves, J. (2009b). Papers of Jack Greaves, 1857-2008 [Manuscript]. In Jack Greaves Brass and Military Band Collection ([1857-2008] 13.0 m. (73 boxes) + 4 fol. boxes + 1 oversize item ed.): National Library of Australia.
Greaves, J., & Earl, C. (2001). Legends in brass : Australian brass band achievers of the 20th century [Book]. Muso’s Media.
Jack Greaves with Drum Major [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]. (1939). [Black & White Photograph]. [PXL_20260220_024935999.MP].
Jack Greaves with pre-WWI cornet [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]. (n.d.). [Black & White Photograph]. [PXL_20260220_025534333.MP].
Mullen, C. C. (1951). Mullen’s Bandsmen of South Street (1900-1951). Horticultural Press.
Mullen, C. C. (1965). Brass bands have played a prominent part in the history of Victoria. The Victorian Historical Magazine, XXXVI(1), 30–47.
Newcastle Steel Works Band. (1922). [Photograph]. [phot20975]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Photogelatine Engraving Company Co. Ltd. (1926). Australian National Band (World Tour) Concert Position : Albert H. Baile, Musical Director [Postcard]. Photogelatine Engraving Company Co. Ltd., Ottawa, Canada.
Young Australia League Band. (1935). [Photograph]. [phot7310]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Programme: South Street “Centenary” Brass Band Contest, 1934, part of the front cover. (Source: Victorian Collections: Victorian Bands’ League Archives)
An international band contest may be a feature of the Centenary celebrations. An effort will be made to include one in the 1934 Eisteddfod and Band Contest at Ballarat.
The Grand National Eisteddfod of Australasia has promised its enthusiastic support of the celebrations. Bands contests were resumed last year at the Ballarat competitions after a lapse of eight years, and they proved successful. (“Band Contest For Centenary,” 1933)
Introduction:
The year is 1934 and in Ballarat on the 1st of November, the Royal South Street Eisteddfod band sections are getting underway again. Except this year is a bit different. It is the year of the Victorian and Melbourne Centenary and across Victoria, celebrations and other events are in full swing. The South Street band sections were part of these grand festivities, and all efforts were made to attract bands from across Australia and New Zealand. In addition, the band contest was honoured by the presence of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and The Band of HM Grenadier Guards. The Royal South Street Society band contest, while being the most prestigious, attracted the most attention in the wider band movement. For the bands themselves, there were lots of other events and band contests they were involved in.
Planning for the 1934 Ballarat band contest was extensive and as shown by the quote at the head of this post, the ideas started over eighteen months earlier. Even if the idealism of the organisers was led astray at times. They thought big, but had to accept that economic conditions were not the best as Australia was coming out of the Great Depression. To put on a band contest befitting a visit of royalty was the utmost challenge. Not to mention the scheduling given the extensive touring of the Grenadier Guards Band and the Duke.
With the cooperation many different parties, somehow, everything worked out. This post is mainly about the 1934 South Street band contest, ninety years to the day.
The Centenary:
Officially, the Victorian and Melbourne centenaries marked two historical events; the landing of the Henty family in Portland 1834, and John Batman’s grand pronouncement in 1835 that the Port Philip bay area with the Yarra River at its head would be “the place for a Village” (McCubbin, 2008). However, like any celebration of this nature, there was some curious disagreement over the dates, especially from interstate commentators. An article published in The Adelaide Chronicle newspaper in April 1934 questioned the historical accuracy of the centenary. The article suggested that 1934 was too early as Victoria was officially proclaimed an independent colony in 1851 (“Victoria’s Centenary,” 1934). Or maybe, as the article also suggested, the centenary was thirty-two years too late as 1802 was the year surveyors from New South Wales first explored the country in the vicinity of Port Phillip Bay (“Victoria’s Centenary,” 1934). And there were plenty of other historical events connected with Victoria before 1834 that could have been commemorated. The Victorian Government was probably well aware of these dates and as an article published in The Record newspaper proclaimed:
And now after warring factions have harmonised, the official foundation of Victoria is given as November 19, 1834, when the “Thistle” anchored in Portland Bay: and the centenary of this event is to be taken as the starting point of our Centenary celebrations. (“Victoria’s Centenary.,” 1933)
Nowadays Victoria celebrates an event on the 1st of July each year which marks the day Victoria was officially proclaimed an independent colony from New South Wales (Brown, 2015). Melbourne Day is also recognized on the 30th of August each year which commemorates “the anniversary of the first European settlement in 1835” (Melbourne Day, 2024).
Confusing, isn’t it…
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester:
As early as 1932 if newspaper reports are anything to go by, negotiations were underway to bring a member of the Royal Family to Victoria for the Centenary commemorations in 1934. The Scrutineer and Berrima District Press newspaper was one of these and they published a tiny article on the 6th of November 1932.
Victoria’s Centenary will probably be celebrated from October, 1934, to February, 1935. Negotiations are in progress for a Royal visit, and it is almost certain that the British Fleet, which was to have visited Australia in 1933, will postpone the visit to coincide with the celebrations. (“Victoria’s Centenary,” 1932)
By early May 1933, the progress of the negotiations was evident to the extent that it was confirmed a member of the Royal Family would visit in 1934. But which one? The Victorian government initiated the negotiations; however, Canberra was also involved and any Royal that visited would be taken to the national capital as well, and to various places in Australia and New Zealand. Speculation as to which Royal it might be was rife, and as reported by The Herald and several other newspapers, the Royal family member was going to be the Earl of Athlone, the brother of the Queen, or the Duke of Gloucester, the King’s third son (“CENTENARY PLANS TAKE SHAPE,” 1933).
In February 1934, the proposed Royal was mentioned in various newspapers as Prince George and the Royal South Street Society immediately sought to secure a visit to Ballarat by the Prince on the 1st of November so that he could open the famous band sections (“CENTENARY BAND CONTEST,” 1934). The RSSS was concerned that the Prince, according to a tentative itinerary, might be in New South Wales while the contest was taking place.
However, even with the best of plans, circumstances can change overnight, and by May 1934, news broke about a change of Royal, but this did not substantially alter the planning of a Royal visit.
It was announced, in the week-end, that, owing to the strain of the South African tour, Prince George would be unable to fulfil the engagement to come to Australia for the Melbourne Centenary celebrations. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, is to take his place.
The least robust member of the Royal family, Prince George felt the strain of his South African tour before it was finished. It was far heavier than had been expected, and his letters home indicated that he was feeling tired, although delighted at the cordiality of his reception everywhere.
It was consequently considered unwise for a young man of Prince George’s temperament, which is rather highly strung, to undertake a second tour, especially as the Australasian programme was longer and more arduous than the African.
[…]
The Duke of Gloucester is the only one of the King’s sons who has not yet toured the Empire. He fulfilled his duties during his visit to Japan so well that it was felt that he should be given the opportunity to visit Australia, where he would be likely to find so much congenial to his temperament. (“Duke of Gloucester to Come Here for Centenary Celebrations,” 1934)
With a member of a Royal family confirmed, and in all likelihood, the Duke of Gloucester would be in Ballarat on the 1st of November, planning for other parts of the Centenary celebrations and the band contest continued (“CENTENARY BAND CONTEST.,” 1934).
H.R.H. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. Sunraysia Daily, 31/10/1934, p. 21
The Duke arrived in Australia in early October and visited Perth, then Adelaide on his way to Melbourne, travelling aboard H.M.S. Sussex which was escorted by elements of the Australian naval fleet (“DEPARTURE OF H.M.S. SUSSEX.,” 1934). Prince Henry disembarked in Melbourne on the 18th of October and was afforded all the military and civic pageantry that Victoria could muster at the time. Below is a short film clip of his arrival and speech on the steps of the Victorian Parliament.
The Band of HM Grenadier Guards:
Programme: Front Cover – The Band of His Majesty’s Grenadier Guards : By Special Permission of the King, 1934. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
If the experiences of bringing a member of the Royal family to Ballarat was anything to go by, then securing a visit by one of the finest military bands in the world (at that time) was no less stressful and speculative. Given the planning of the Centenary celebrations were well-underway in 1933, this is when newspapers started reporting that an English military band would be visiting as part of the festivities. The Argus newspaper published a lengthy article in September 1933 that mentioned the Coldstream Guards, and that Victorian band musicians would be eager to hear them play, and be inspired (“COLDSTREAM GUARDS BAND,” 1933). As mentioned in a previous post about this tour, only the Musicians’ Union raised objections to the tour of an English band, a position that was berated by a letter writer to The Herald newspaper (de Korte, 2018b; Musician, 1933). In October, The Age newspaper was a little more speculative – given there are multiple guards’ bands, this article mentioned the bands of the Coldstream Guards, Welsh Guards, or Grenadier Guards as possibilities of touring (“GUARDS’ BAND VISIT.,” 1933).
It was quite a bit later, June 1934, that the Grenadier Guards Band was strongly expected to be the English military band visiting for the Centenary, and that their tour, estimated to cost £10,000 pounds, would also take in provincial towns (“FAMOUS BAND EXPECTED,” 1934). In August, this tour was very much confirmed – one could appreciate the formality of the article published in The Age newspaper.
By special permission of the King, the band of Grenadier Guards is to give a season in Melbourne under the auspices of the Commonwealth and New Zealand Governments and the Centenary Celebrations Council, and Messrs. J. and N. Tait have been entrusted with the management of the tour. The opening concert will be given in the Town Hall on Saturday, 20th October. The band is the premier band of the United Kingdom, and negotiations for this visit have been carried through the Commonwealth High Commissioner in London with the British Government. The band has no fewer than twenty different programmes. Their uniforms of scarlet, blue and gold, with bearskin busbies, should make a fine spectacle. (“Grenadier Guards’ Band.,” 1934)
The Grenadier Guards band duly arrived in Melbourne on the 20th of October and were given a civic reception at the town hall, and a parade up Collins Street led by the Melbourne Fire Brigade Band (“GRENADIER GUARDS BAND HAS WONDERFUL WELCOME.,” 1934). The picture below published in The Age newspaper showing the proceedings, and part of the crowd of 100,000, says it all.
After their welcome in Melbourne and opening concert, the Band of the Grenadier Guards commenced on a country tour of Victoria, such was the interest in their visit – their first tour concert was in Wangaratta on the 22nd of October (“GRENADIER GUARDS BAND.,” 1934). By no coincidence at all, many of the places the band visited intersected with visits of the Duke of Gloucester, including Ballarat on the 1st of November.
Of interest is the back cover of the programme used for this visit which advertises Boosey & Hawkes instruments, and the Australian music retailers that sold them – with a picture of H.M.S. Sussex which was transporting Prince Henry to Australia (Kingtson, 1934).
Programme: Back Cover – The Band of His Majesty’s Grenadier Guards : By Special Permission of the King, 1934. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
Two of the puzzle pieces for the Royal South Street band contest were now in place. But we must not forget the brass bands that were travelling to South Street for the contest.
Attracting the bands:
It would not be a band contest without the bands, and the Royal South Street Society, conscious of the significance of the 1934 contest, wanted to put on a good show. At the head of this post was the idea that the band contest could be an international contest with the finest bands from around the world travelling to Ballarat to participate (“Band Contest For Centenary,” 1933). Alas, bringing international bands was not to be. Australia was just coming out of the Great Depression and economic conditions were not the best and attracting international bands was probably deemed too expensive (de Korte, 2020). Nevertheless, in June 1933 the Lord Mayor of Melbourne gave his blessing to the band contest in Ballarat, stating,
Ballarat is looked upon as the venue for brass band contests, and I can assure you that during the centenary celebrations it will be recognised as such” said the Lord Mayor of Melbourne (Councillor H. Gengoult Smith) in speaking at a civic welcome at the city hall yesterday. […] In recognition of what Ballarat, through the South Street Society, had done for the encouragement of brass band music, he would give his assurance that the finals of the centenary band contest would be held in Ballarat. (“CENTENARY BAND CONTEST.,” 1933)
The Mayor of Ballarat, Cr. A. J. Darling expressed confidence in January 1934 that arrangements for the official opening of the Centenary band contest were well-underway, as well as confirmation that a member of the Royal family would be attending (“CENTENARY BAND CONTEST.,” 1934). With the Royal South Street Society and the newly formed Victorian Bands’ League working on the particulars of the contest, there was no need to think this was not the case. And in April came the details of the prize money that was on offer, and the announcement that “Mr. Stephen Yorke, conductor of the Australian national military band, will adjudicate.” (“CENTENARY BAND CONTESTS.,” 1934). On a side note, the A.B.C. Military Band was undertaking its own national tour in 1934 – it was a great year to listen to top bands in Australia (de Korte, 2018a).
Individual bands were also starting to make plans to visit Ballarat for the contest. We see that in April, the Mildura Municipal Band (also known as the Sunraysia District Brass Band) announced plans to visit Ballarat to listen to the A grade sections, and then proceed to Melbourne to present a concert in conjunction with the Essendon City Band (“CENTENARY BAND CONTESTS,” 1934). However, their ideas must have changed as they ended up participating in the contest in the C and D grade sections, and achieving equal first prize with the Pleasant Street Boys’ Band in the D grade (Royal South Street Society, 1934c).
Interest in competing was also expressed by bands in New Zealand as the Woolston Brass Band announced its intention to come to Ballarat for the centenary contest (“NEW ZEALAND BAND TO VISIT MELBOURNE.,” 1933). An article published in the Dominion newspaper by the writer, ‘Kneller Hall’, speculated that the Port Nicholson Silver Band was preparing to travel to Ballarat to compete, while also confirming that the famous Woolston Brass Band was going to make the trip over the Tasman (Kneller Hall, 1934). In the end, only one band from New Zealand ended up attending, Woolston, and they were given a civic welcome when they arrived in Ballarat (“BALLARAT AND DISTRICT,” 1934; “PROVINCIAL CITIES AND TOWNS.,” 1934a).
With bands arriving in Ballarat, the Duke of Gloucester travelling down by train from Mildura, and the Band of the Grenadier Guards arriving from Bendigo, all was now in place for the opening of the Royal South Street band sections on the 1st of November (“GRENADIER GUARDS BAND.,” 1934; “Sunraysia, Land of Sunshine Greets The Duke,” 1934). Twenty-two bands from Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, and New Zealand had entered the South Street contests this year and the list of bands and bandmasters in the official souvenir programme can be viewed below (Royal South Street Society, 1934e).
Programme: South Street “Centenary” Brass Band Contest, 1934, p. 4. (Source: Victorian Collections: Victorian Bands’ League Archives)
To have twenty-two bands enter in 1934 was not bad considering that the early thirties were times of upheaval for the Victorian band movement and society in general. In 1931, the Victorian Bands’ League was established having superseded the Victorian Bands’ Association, the Australian economy was recovering after the Great Depression, and the band sections at Royal South Street had resumed in 1932 after an eight year hiatus (de Korte, 2018c, 2020; Royal South Street Society, 1979).
However, it would have been pleasing to see bands from a wide variety of areas coming to South Street. We know that for some bands, like the Phillip Island Brass Band, that they did a considerable amount of fundraising to attend (de Korte, 2019). The line up for bands for the A Grade section represented the best of A grade bands that Victoria had in the day, and having the Woolston Brass Band from Christchurch, N.Z. made the section even more top notch.
Photograph: Phillip Island Brass Band, 1932. (Source: IBEW)
The opening day of the band contest was a spectacular affair with the Royal South Street Society having programmed all events down to the minute. According to various newspaper articles, 10,000 people attended the opening day at Ballarat’s City Oval, no doubt drawn to the fact that the Duke of Gloucester would be there to officially open the contest. The souvenir programme outlined the proceedings of the day as can be seen below.
Programme: South Street “Centenary” Brass Band Contest, 1934, p. 6. (Source: Victorian Collections: Victorian Bands’ League Archives)
In superb weather, everything proceeded to plan, and the bands did their best to produce a ceremony befitting the occasion (“BAND CONTESTS,” 1934). There was a massed band performance, a demonstration of the quickstep, and the Woolston Brass Band even performed a haka for the Duke after the march past of the bands (“DUKE AT BALLARAT,” 1934). That night, the Band of HM Grenadier Guards performed in a concert which would have inspired the bandsmen and audience (Royal South Street Society, 1934e).
Results for the contests were announced on Saturday 3rd of November with another 10,000 people attending to find out the placings. The full results will not be detailed in this post due to space, but they can be found on the RSSS results database via these links:
The Solo contests were held a day before the band sections on the 31st of October. The results of these can be found on the RSSS database via the link:
By all accounts, the standard of playing across all sections was brilliant and the adjudicator was very impressed. The A Grade section in particular was a very hard fought affair, but in the end, the Melbourne Fire Brigade Band won the Besson Shield for the third year in a row (Royal South Street Society, 1934a). The Woolston Brass Band from N.Z. suffered some misfortune when one of their cornet players became ill – the other A Grade bands offered them a choice of cornet players to help out – however, they decided to proceed down a player and were happy to achieve third place (“BRILLIANT PLAYING,” 1934; “PROVINCIAL CITIES AND TOWNS.,” 1934b).
The Duke of Gloucester and the Band of the Grenadier Guards did not stay long in Ballarat as they kept up a tight schedule of touring around Victoria and eventually New Zealand. For the bands themselves there were good stories of their visits to Ballarat. The Yallourn and District Band from Gippsland was one band that was very proud of their efforts in the B Grade section where they achieved second place behind the City of Ballarat Band (“YALLOURN NEWS,” 1934). Of interest is that in early 1935, three cornet players from Victorian bands, including cornetist Jack Allan of the City of Ballarat Band, were offered places in the Band of the Grenadier Guards (“Ballarat Bandsman Invited To Join Grenadier Guards,” 1935). It is unclear whether they took up that offer.
The 1934 South Street contest was no doubt an important part of Victoria’s Centenary celebrations, but it was not the only part. There were other important events taking place.
Events after South Street:
11th of November, 1934: Dedication of the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne:
Postcard: The National War Memorial of Victoria. Aerial View of Dedication Ceremony, 11/11/1934. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
For the Duke of Gloucester, he kept up a busy schedule around Victoria. However, his most important engagement was the dedication of Melbourne’s newly completed Shrine of Remembrance. This was a very special occasion which was attended by thousands of veterans, people, and important dignitaries. Bands and other musicians also played an important role, and at the dedication, several Australian Army buglers sounded the Last Post standing behind Royal Australian Navy drummers.
Portland Centenary Band Contest:
The town of Portland in the far south-west of Victoria had an important part to play in Victoria’s centenary celebrations. In turn, they staged their own band contest, albeit on a much smaller scale than the South Street contests which had concluded only two weeks earlier (“BAND CONTESTS.,” 1934). The Portland contest was only attended by bands from Hamilton, Heywood and Mt. Gambier, and there was a pipe band contest held at the same time. The Portland contest was won by the band from Mt. Gambier and the adjudicator was Mr. Percy Jones (“Band Contest Won By Mount Gambier,” 1934).
Melbourne Centenary Band Championship, King’s Birthday weekend, June 1935:
The Victorian centenary celebrations stretched into 1935, and a Melbourne Centenary Band Championship was held at the Exhibition Buildings under the auspices of the Victorian Bands’ League. Like the South Street contests, this was another great event for bands, and twenty-one bands participated, as listed in the article below.
The main attraction of this event was a grand parade from Alexandra Avenue to the Exhibition Buildings and quickstep display on the Exhibition oval (“CENTENARY BAND CONTESTS,” 1935). Again, the A Grade section continued the rivalries between Hawthorn, Melbourne Fire Brigade, Brunswick and Collingwood bands, with Hawthorn taking out the A Grade title (“CENTENARY GALA WEEK.,” 1935). Another celebrated win was that of the Malvern Junior Tramways Band when they won their third D Grade title in a row.
What an intense period of activity for bands! It is times like these that our bands came to the fore with all the ceremonial and contest activity, as well as local celebrations. No doubt the communities appreciated the efforts and the entertainment. Having a visiting band of the calibre of the Band of the Grenadier Guards made the Centenary celebrations even more special, and it was noted at the time that they were inspiring to local musicians. The prevailing feeling when all was done was one of accomplishment, not just from the cooperation that made this all happen, but from all that understood the significance of the events. It is not every day that a world-class military band and a Duke visits a band contest.
Duke of Gloucester to Come Here for Centenary Celebrations : AFRICAN TOUR TIRED PRINCE GEORGE. (1934, 05 May). Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 – 1954), 5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223836381
Kingtson, C. (Ed.). (1934). Grenadier Guards Band : Australia and New Zealand 1934-5 : By Special Permission of His Majesty the King : Official Souvenir : Tour under the Auspices of the Commonwealth Government and the New Zealand Government : In associaion with the Cenenary Celebrations Council of Victoria [Printed programme]. Grenadier Guards Band.
McCubbin, M. (2008). Centenary. In eMelbourne: the city past & present (pp. EM00316b). https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00316b.htm: The University of Melbourne, School of Historical & Philosophical Studies.
Melbourne Day. (2024). More marvellous than ever: FAQs: What is Melbourne Day? Melbourne Day: 30th August. Retrieved 26 October 2024 from https://www.melbourneday.com.au/about.html
Mildura & District Band, 1930s. (1930). [Photograph]. [phot6314]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Phillip Island Brass Band, 1932. (1932). [Photograph]. [phot16005]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Pleasant Street School Band, Ballarat, 1933. (1933). [Photograph]. [phot20817]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Royal South Street Society. (1934e). [South Street “Centenary” : Brass Band Contest : A, B, C and D Grades]. In S09 – Programs (Printed programme ed., pp. 14). Ballarat, Victoria https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5d425e0c21ea6b1a84382033: Victorian Bands’ League Archive.
Royal South Street Society. (1979). Royal South Street Society : The First One Hundred Years. Royal South Street Society.
ShrineMelbourne. (2013, 09 January). The Dedication of the Shrine of Remembrance – Remembrance Day 11 November 1934 [Video (Film Clip)]. YouTube. Retrieved 26 October 2024 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHcaXEpVdRA
Sunraysia, Land of Sunshine Greets The Duke : Prince Henry Is Our First Royal Guest. (1934, 31 October). Sunraysia Daily (Mildura, Vic. : 1920 – 1950), 21. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article265829018
The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees. (1934). The National War Memorial of Victoria : Aerial View of Dedication Ceremony [Postcard]. [No. 3]. The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees, Great Britain.
Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Band. ca. 1890. (source: State Library Victoria: cr001189)
Please note: This blog post has drawn upon information from photographic and print resources whereby the names of managers and deceased persons from former orphanages, secure health institutions, and penal institutions may have been mentioned. Also, there are depictions of the recreational activities of such institutions described in this blog post.
Introduction:
…undoubtedly music had a fundamental relationship to humanity. It softened and soothed the hardness and harshness of life.
If there is one aspect of our band movement that has stood the test of time it is a willingness to play for all and encourage participation in music making. One might say it goes with the territory. However, our bands are special groups, and at times, they have performed for people who are in life situations where they are separated from general society. It was judged at the time, rightly or wrongly, that this was necessitated, but it is not for this post to comment on the why. It is the purpose of this post to highlight where band music has made a difference to the lives of the people within various institutions.
Let us turn back time to the early 1900s where we will find that the description, function, and language of these institutions is very different to what we know now. It was not uncommon to read early newspapers and reports which mention Prisons and Orphanages, but also Lunatic Asylums, Benevolent Asylums, and Colonies. It was also not uncommon in the newspapers to label anyone who was resident at these institutes as inmates – even hospitals. The language of this post will draw upon the language of the time with its early usage and naming conventions, even if we are uncomfortable with this language in our own time.
Music had a role to play in such institutes, not only for listening but also for making and participating. In the early 1900s, much thinking was being given to the humane way in which the people in the institutes could be treated and kept occupied, and music was a key activity. We can view this as early forms of music therapy and there were some very forward-thinking people who made sure that music, partly through bands, became a staple part of the institutional routines.
At the start of this post is an early photograph of the (R.V.I.B.) Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Brass Band from approximately 1890 which clearly displays how a meaningful activity such as a band was accessible. This post will firstly show how bands made a difference through performances as many different institutions invited bands to come and play for their residents. The next sections will highlight bands that were set up in institutes such as Orphanagesand special institutes. Continuing in part two is a post on the brass band that was formed at Pentridge Prison. This post will not be able to cover all forms of music making. However, it will show how pervasive our band music was and how music was a pastime with a purpose.
Listening to music:
The institutions:
Several bands including the State Public Service Band, the Essendon and Moonee Ponds Salvation Army Band, and several other concert parties have kindly given concerts during this year. These entertainments are very much appreciated and do much towards relieving the monotony of the patients’ lives.
There was no shortage of thanks given to bands for the work they did in these years, this mention by Mr. John K. Adey, then Medical Superintendent of the Hospital for the Insane, Sunbury being just one of them. Aside from the two bands that are mentioned above, several other bands gave their services to the various Victorian Lunacy Department institutions including the Victorian Police Band, the Northcote Band (who visited the Hospital for the Insane, Ararat in 1925), the Beechworth Town Band, and the Essendon City Band (Victoria. Lunacy Department, 1914, 1927a, 1928).
Victorian Public Service Military Band. Herald, 06/06/1940, p. 7
This is just one series of examples noting bands visiting asylums, but why were they there? Firstly, these asylums were not pleasant places to be in, and too often we dwell on the negativity surrounding them, articles in the modern media being a prime example of focusing of the negativity of old asylums (Kamm, 2018; Pike, 2015). This perception of negativity is a holdover from the early part of last century where the public knew very little about what went on inside these asylums because they were, essentially isolated. As Ann Hardy (2019) notes in her blog post about perceptions and lost voices of the asylum,
Asylums were considered as having unsuitable management, and not providing adequate care, and being isolated only fuelled negative ideas about them and further pushed institutions and inmates out of societies view.
Research by Dolly MacKinnon, however, shows that some social practices permeated the operations of asylums. In a journal article about musical concerts in Queensland asylums, she wrote,
The insane were kept out of the public eye, yet the social and cultural values and practices of the times provided the filter through which appropriate musical recreation and employment were determined.”
In a later article she challenges the perceptions of the asylum.
Stereotypical views of asylums or mental hospitals do not conjure up images of recreation and entertainment, but rather places of isolation, gendered confinement, and boredom. Yet within the surviving Australian institutional records (from 1860 to 1945) it is clear that medical and lay staff, patients, and volunteers went to great lengths to provide entertainment and recreation of asylum inmates.
…between the 1860s and circa 1945 the provision of recreation for Australian psychiatric inmates came from three main sources; paid professional groups, volunteers (from both inside and outside the asylum), and the asylum band. Asylums made continuous and strenuous efforts to include the community in many of these activities. Those that did volunteer were publicly thanked in their efforts by the medical staff.
[…]
Recreation was one of the few asylum activities that attempted, albeit in a highly regulated way, to encourage patients to respond and interact in appropriate ways in a social, physical, as well as an emotional sense.”
It was not uncommon for bands of this time to go and support these institutions either through their playing at the institution or by raising money through other means. We can see this through articles published in the newspapers of the day and the reports that were submitted to the government of the day. An article published in an August 1904 issue of the Daily Telegraph newspaper from Sydney tells us that the Newtown Brass Band played at the Parramatta Hospital for the Insane and there were a number of visitors in the grounds to listen to them – although one the inmates escaped during the performance. (“ESCAPE FROM A LUNATIC ASYLUM.,” 1904). The Oakleigh Brass Band from Melbourne were quite active in this area of performance and the Talbot Colony for Epileptics and the Cheltenham Benevolent Asylum were two of the beneficiaries of their visits (“ASYLUM INMATES ENTERTAINED,” 1917; “Talbot Colony for Epileptics,” 1914).
General Hospitals also hosted performances of brass bands as they sought to bring some music and entertainment before their patients and staff. The Lakes Creek Brass Band (pictured below) was booked to play at the Rockhampton General Hospital at various times during 1914 (“THE LAKE’S CHEEK BRASS BAND.,” 1914). Likewise, the Darwin Brass Band paid a surprise visit to the Darwin Hospital to play a selection of music at Christmas time, a performance that was very much appreciated by the audience and communicated to the band by the Matron in charge (“XMAS AT THE HOSPITAL.,” 1920).
As well as boasting their own significant music program which once included a brass band, the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind also hosted performances by various musical groups. The employees of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board generously gave their time to provide some entertainment for the Institute and part of this entertainment included items played by the Malvern Tramways Band (“TRAMWAYS ENTERTAIN BLIND FOLK.,” 1925). Likewise, in later years, the bands of the Victoria Police (pipe and brass) also gave their time to play for the R.V.I.B. (“Police help for Blind Institute,” 1947).
Of course, the band movement in Australia was not alone in the way they provided music for these institutions. The band movement in Aotearoa New Zealand was similarly engaged in doing the same kinds of performances. For example, in the Te Waipounamu South Island city of Christchurch, on the Sunday before Christmas each year all the bands in the city would turn out to perform at various institutions and hospitals (“BANDS’ VISITING DAY,” 1938).
And as mentioned, the bands turned out for charitable events to aid in the care of the infirm. In one instance, the newly-formed Richmond Boys’ Band was featured in an article published by the Richmond Guardian newspaper when they assisted at an event to provide support for the Blind Soldiers’ Fund (“Richmond Boys’ Brass Band,” 1918).
The work of the Salvation Army bands should also be noted as they were also very active in this area of performance. Below is a photo of a Salvation Army Band visiting the Peel Island Lazaret which was a facility to house Queensland sufferers of Leprosy.
Salvation Army Brass Band visiting Peel Island Lazaret (Qld.) during 1920s. (source: State Library of Queensland: 74802)
There was no doubt that the bands were busy in this area of performance, and full credit to the work that they did.
Music-making:
Postcard: St. Augustine’s Orphanage Band. Champions of Australia, 1906 (source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
While the workings of the Lunatic Asylums were virtually unknown to the public at the time, the same could not be said for other institutions such as the Blind Institutes and the Orphanages. And both mentioned types of institutions promoted their musical activities to the extent that the bands attached to them had excellent reputations. The musicians that both programs produced were very good and in Victoria for example, while some former R.V.I.B. musicians did display their talents outside the Institute, the Orphanages were better known for producing some of Australia’s finest brass musicians. This section will briefly examine the music-making at both forms of institutions.
The Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind:
Lantern Slide: Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Orchestra, 1900. (source: Museum Victoria Collections: MM 95962)
Music-making at the R.V.I.B. was an activity that was immersed in the daily routines of the students, and this involved singing, piano, organ, a string orchestra, and a brass band. A first mention of a brass band at the R.V.I.B. is made in an article published by The Age newspaper as far back as 1874 where they played “The Standard Bearer March with excellent precision and time” (“DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTE AND BLIND ASYLUM.,” 1874).
It appears that the Institute’s musicians were sent out to tour and raise funds as soon as they could do so. Judith Buckrich, in her book on the history of the R.V.I.B, details some of the tours of the musicians, and even in the earlier years, the touring was quite extensive. From an Institution that started in 1866, to have musical groups sent to various places in Victoria by 1877 was a remarkable achievement.
The Asylum’s musicians and singers were often on the road. In 1877, the choir gave concerts in Taradale, Kyneton, Castlemaine, Sandhurst, Eaglehawk, Echuca, Maryborough, Chinaman’s Flat, Stawell, Ararat, Beaufort, Learmonth and Ballarat. The band performed in Emerald Hill, Eltham, Dandenong, Footscray, Berwick and other places. They earned £827 for the Asylum.
(Buckrich, 2004, p. 36)
Reflecting on music-making at the Institute as a whole, some writers asserted that the musicians at the R.V.I.B were performing at a higher standard than amateurs. A writer under the pseudonym of ‘Assistant Needlewoman’ wrote an expansive article for the Argus newspaper in June 1886 in which she meticulously detailed the workings of the Institute (Assistant Needlewoman, 1886). She offered this considered opinion of the musical skills of the students.
While the musical world of Melbourne is divided as to whether there shall be a chair of music, a conservatoire, or whether, as would be best, we should be content for the present with a grand orchestra, the material for which is almost ready to hand, the claims of this well-known and deserving institutions are entirely overlooked. With one conscientious and painstaking music teacher, upon whom is laid the Herculean task of giving instruction in piano, organ, and solo-singing, the pupils of the Blind Asylum have already done enough to show that they are worthy of the best professional training to be had.
The article by ‘Assistant Needlewoman’ correlates with the history detailed by Buckrich as in 1888, there are some detailed accounts of how many students are involved in music-making.
Members of the choir and band numbered twenty-nine, and some students were members of both. Eighteen students were being taught the piano and two, the organ. Many concerts have been given during the year and this activity had earned the institution the tidy sum of £480 after expenses. It seems that the choir and band now enjoyed free travel on the railways.
(Buckrich, 2004, p. 50)
Four years after the article penned by ‘Assistant Needlewoman’, a writer with the pseudonym of ‘Benvolio’ visited the R.V.I.B. and was most impressed with what he saw during his visit – “All will agree that the Victorian Asylum and School for the Blind is one of the most humane establishments in the colony…” (Benvolio, 1890). He wrote an article for the Illustrated Sydney News newspaper which was just as detailed as the article written by four years earlier. Benvolio’s remarks on the music program provide us with some additional insight.
…in most cases, they find outside employment, either at their trades or in teaching music, for which most of them display a wonderful aptitude, one of the former pupils being a very successful teacher in one of the suburbs, and at present bandmaster of the Asylum, which boasts a very efficient brass band and string band, besides a senior and junior choir, and several very capable solo vocalists and pianists, to say nothing of the more advanced pupils referred to, whose performances on the organ are astonishing.
As mentioned, musical groups such as the choir and string orchestra frequently went on tour and we can see that in some Victorian and Tasmanian towns, the visits were precluded by letters in the local newspapers explaining the charitable situation of the Institute (Hogarth, 1897; Winkelman, 1897). The R.V.I.B. was always in need of funds and “one sources of funding that remained reliable was the concerts given by its various bands, orchestras and choirs.” (Buckrich, 2004, p. 58). While the R.V.I.B. groups were in the towns, they were assisted by many of the town’s folk – and the local bands. In two instances, the Ulverston Brass Band and the Rutherglen Brass Band were thanked for their help (Hogarth, 1900; “Victorian Institute for the Blind.,” 1893).
In the early 1890s we can see that the list of engagements for the band was not so much in towns and tours, but for specific events. The “Royal Agricultural Society Annual Show”, “Roman Catholic Bazzaar, Albert Park”, “Miss Turner Grammar School Sports”, and the “Caulfield Grammar School Sports” are just some of the engagements the band performed at during 1892 (Buckrich, 2004, pp. 58-59).
The work of the R.V.I.B. was expanded during the First World War to help returned soldiers who had become vision impaired and blind, and the choir and band “gave several concerts at the Base Hospital, as well as the Soldiers’ Lounge in St Kilda, to assist the Red Cross with funds” (Buckrich, 2004, p. 82). It is unclear as to the official status of the band in future years after the early 1900s. However, the music department is still an integral part of the Institute.
Seventy-three students received instruction in music during 1922 – mainly in pianoforte, violin. Class and solo singing, flute, cornet and other band instruments, harmony, counterpoint, and the art of teaching.
(Buckrich, 2004, p. 95)
The Orphanages:
The Largs Bay Orphanage Band. The Chronicle, 11/11/1922, p. 29
Admittedly, there is so much material on the exploits of the many Orphanage bands that they warrant a whole post just to unravel the fine work they did with their bands. And unfortunately, this post will gloss over most of the achievements of these groups. However, they do fit into this context of this post as the bands were set up to provide a musical activity to the routines of Orphanage boys and girls. The newspaper photo above of the Largs Bay Orphanage Band shows an Orphanage band that was unique in Australia as all the band members were female – this band was also mentioned in a previous post (de Korte, 2018).
Orphanage bands in Australia were a copy of practices in England where the teaching of music in boys’ institutions was commonplace (Sheldon, 2009). There was, however, a major difference to the outcomes of this musical education between the two countries. Boys who were trained as musicians in English institutions readily found themselves recruited into the bands of the British Army and Navy (Sheldon, 2009). Whereas the musicians that graduated from the Orphanage bands in Australia found themselves positions in the wider band movement. Sheldon (2009) identified some benefits to music education in British institutions which were applicable to Australian Orphanages.
The evidence from the boys’ letters shows that they valued the intrinsic benefits of belonging to the band and learning an instrument. For some poor boys, musical education offered a relief from the rigours of institutional care in circumstances where there were few pleasures on offer.
(p. 747)
We know that Orphanage bands in Australia have had a long and distinguished history, as well as enviable reputations. The St. Augustine’s Band from Geelong is probably the most famous of them all, and it is mentioned that by 1898 they were already putting the call out for a new set of instruments (“ST. AUGUSTINE’S ORPHANAGE BAND.,” 1898). St. Augustine’s went on to win many competitions at South Street in Ballarat and toured extensively – in one instance, in 1906 they won the A Grade Championships at South Street (Royal South Street Society, 1906). The band at St. Vincent’s de Paul in Melbourne was no less famous than their counterpart in Geelong and in 1921 they gained the services of Mr. Leslie Hoffman, a graduate of the St. Augustine’s Band, as their conductor (“St. Vincent’s Bandmaster,” 1921). The Minton Boys’ Home Band in Frankston gained the services of another champion Geelong bandsman, Mr. Harry Shugg, when he became their instructor in 1928 (“BOYS’ BAND.,” 1928; Davies, 2005). In Ballarat the boys at St. Joseph’s Orphanage Band were conducted by the very famous Frank Wright (pictured below) (St Joseph’s Orphanage Brass Band, 1924, 1924).
Frankston and Somerville Standard, 20/04/1928, p. 4
St. Joseph’s Orphanage Brass Band, 1924. (source: Victorian Collections: Federation University Historical Collection: 11049)
With so much talent from the Australian band movement involved in the music education areas of the Orphanages, it is no wonder that the bands did as well as they did. As well as being an activity to occupy the minds of the Orphanage boys and girls, it also gave them a sense of purpose and achievement.
Westmead Orphanage Boys’ Band. Southern Cross, 30/10/1936, p. 10
Conclusion:
There were many different types of music-making in these institutions, some which was kept hidden and others that were very much out in the open. However, whatever the type of institution, the singular aim was to improve the mind with wholesome activities. Music was the perfect activity, and bands were the outcome. This was music therapy at its best.
Benvolio. (1890, 02 August). MELBOURNE INSTITUTIONS: THE VICTORIAN ASYLUM AND SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND. Illustrated Sydney News (NSW : 1881 – 1894), 9. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63615405
Buckrich, J. R. (2004). Lighthouse on the boulevard : a history of the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, 1866-2004. Australian Scholarly Publishing.
Group of men wearing band uniforms and holding their brass instruments, R.V.I.B. [picture]. (1890). [negative : glass 16.3 x 21.4 cm. (full plate)]. [cr001189]. State Library Victoria, RVIB collection of glass negatives. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/32332
Hogarth, J. T. (1897, 05 April). ROYAL VICTORIAN INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND : To the Editor. Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 – 1924), 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article210364264
Hogarth, J. T. (1900, 22 May). ROYAL VICTORIAN INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND : To the Editor. Rutherglen Sun and Chiltern Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1886 – 1957), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article268489459
Lake’s Creek Brass Band, Rockhampton. (1909). [Photograph]. [phot20842]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
MacKinnon, D. (2009). Divine Service, Music, Sport, and Recreation as Medicinal in Australian Asylums 1860s-1945. Health and History, 11(1), 128-148. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20534507
Richmond Boys’ Brass Band to Make Debut at Racecourse Carnival for Blind Soldiers—Amazing Growth of Notable Movement that will Bring Fame to This District. (1918, 12 January). Richmond Guardian (Vic. : 1917 – 1918), 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93811136
Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind. (1900). Lantern Slide – School Orchestra, Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, circa 1900 [Lantern Slide, Standard (3¼ in. x 3¼ in.), Black & White]. [MM 95962]. Museum Victoria Collections, Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Collection. https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/1390549
Salvation Army brass band visiting Peel Island Lazaret during 1920s. (2007). [copy print : b&w]. [74802]. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland. https://hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/208680
Sheldon, N. (2009). The musical careers of the poor: the role of music as a vocational training for boys in British care institutions 1870–1918. History of Education, 38(6), 747-759. https://doi.org/10.1080/00467600903305590
Victorian Institute for the Blind. (1893, 27 January). Coastal News and North Western Advertiser (Ulverstone, Tas. : 1890 – 1893), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article216216052
Winkelman, H. G. A. (1897, 25 November). THE VICTORIAN INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND—VISIT OF THE BAND AND CHOIR. Bairnsdale Advertiser and Tambo and Omeo Chronicle (Vic. : 1882 – 1918), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article86326868
The Victorian Bandmasters’ Association, approx. 1931 (Source: Victorian Bands’ League Archives)
Introduction:
There is no doubting that any band requires leadership and that the leaders of bands, whether they be musical – conductors/bandmasters, and Drum Majors – or in administration, require a set of qualities that are different from other band members. This has been the case in our band movement from almost the beginning and many musicians have aspired to be in such leadership roles. Often, they have succeeded. At times, the needs of the band have not been met. There is no doubting that these roles require lots of hard work and skill, not only as a leader but also as a musician.
We will see some criticisms from the great British band adjudicators who nearly always had plenty to say. Of course, we know that many Australian band conductors of the past were very highly regarded, but that fact was sometimes ignored by our British counterparts. However, given this post will touch on some controversial histories of Australia’s band movement, we will probably end up with more questions than answers.
Whatever we do in the band movement has some basis in history and tradition. There are three aspects to this post that will provide some context and history. Firstly, we will see some of the problems that existed in bands regarding musical leadership, mainly seen through the eyes of eminent band personalities. The second part of this post will talk about the interesting status quo of recruiting conductors who just happened to be Cornet players as well. In the third part of this post there will be an examination of possible solutions to musical training and knowledge, which was the cause of much hand wringing for many decades – good intentions were expressed, except many of these good intentions failed to come to fruition.
The problems at hand:
In 1902/03, Scottish band conductor and adjudicator James Ord Hume visited Australia and New Zealand to adjudicate at many Eisteddfods, and through this visit he imparted his knowledge and opinions whenever he had an opportunity. This visit, and his subsequent visit in 1924 were detailed in a previous post (de Korte, 2021). The influence he had on Australian bands, in conjunction with the tours by the Besses o’ th’ Barn Band, was profound and he noted as much when he visited again in 1924. In deference to the topic of this post however, his early impression of Australian bands was that they lacked “tuition”, and this he put down to the knowledge of the conductor – “…here it seems to be ‘Australia for the Australians,’ and that will not do in music at any rate” (“MR. J. ORD HUME.,” 1903). James Ord Hume was noted for the forthright nature of his comments (Thirst, 2006).
Did James Ord Hume have a valid point? He provided comment in 1902/03 when the Australian band movement was essentially at the start of rapid development. Perhaps he was laying a foundation for Australian bands to build on, rather than direct criticism. However, we cannot treat this as a purely isolated observation as other band identities, some of them visitors from the United Kingdom, made similar comments over time. In a wide-ranging interview published in the Australian Star newspaper in 1908, “Mr William Short, chief trumpeter in the private band of King Edward” had plenty to say regarding Australian bands and what conductors should be focusing on (“AUSTRALIAN BANDS,” 1908).
Your bands are badly in need of good tuition. Bands should play like one man. They should be taught by men who have a practical knowledge of the various instruments and a large experience. […] The bands in Australia want polishing up. One or two are really good and the others are mediocre. Teaching is everything. The conductor should insist on having complete charge of the band. He should not let anything slip. Some of the bands I have heard have very much the appearance of being under divided control.
Autograph of William Short, L.R.A.M., found in the autograph book belonging to Charles McKenzie Walker, 1908. (Source: Lockie Cresswell, grand nephew of William Short)
Now, perhaps this was a little unfair given the times, but again, like the comments from James Ord Hume, not unwarranted and it reflects the leadership situation in the Australian band movement at the time.
It must be noted that the tuition of bandsmen and bandmasters was a pet topic for Mr. Ord Hume and in 1909, an article written for the British Bandsmen magazine was reprinted in The Cairns Post newspaper (Ord Hume, 1909). For the sake of brevity, his words on tuition will not be directly quoted however there are some aspects of his article that are pertinent to the next section – the article can be accessed by the link on the citation.
When James Ord Hume visited Adelaide in October 1924 during his travels across Australia from Ballarat to Western Australia (and then back to England), he was interviewed by The Advertiser newspaper where he made some interesting observations. Generally, he was in praise of the rise in standards. However, he tempered this with some other pointed remarks about bands and conductors.
The chief fault in Australia in the lower sections he found was the lack of proper tuition. However enthusiastic a bandmaster might be, the lack of that particular tuition was keenly felt. Some of the bands in that section he had heard had no interpretative ability whatever. They were very enthusiastic, but were led by bandmasters who themselves should have had better tuition. That was a fault which should be remedied by the associations, which, to the best of his knowledge, did not permit others than bandmasters to train or conduct the bands. […] One band in particular played so poorly that he felt sorry for the bandsmen, who, in his opinion, were led like lost sheep. He felt inclined to go up and ask the bandmaster if he might be permitted to conduct those selections again, even without a rehearsal, to show what the bandsmen could really do. They lacked tuition, and that was the whole trouble.
(Foote) The News, 01/04/1925, p. 1. (Madge) The News, 23/01/1925, p. 10. (Levy) The News, 09/04/1925, p. 1.
Evidently, after James Ord Hume arrived back in England, he made some further remarks in relation to Australian bands, which touched off a war of words, most notably between several South Australian band identities. First was Mr. William Foote, then bandmaster of the Adelaide Tramways Band where he quoted some of Mr. Ord Hume’s words in an article published by The News newspaper in early June 1925. Mr. Foote stated,
It is the truth. In saying that the bands are more advanced than the bandmasters he has put his finger on the root of the trouble.” said Mr. W. H. Foote, A.R.C.M. speaking of the criticism against Australian bands by Lieut. J. Ord Hume.
[…]
“We have the musicians, but we lack the men to direct them.” Mr. Foote concluded. “The ‘painfully correct’ playing of which Lieut. Ord Hume complains is the direct result of the bandmasters’ want of artistry and skill.”
Mr. Foote was an ex-military bandsman from England with a high degree of orchestral training and he was brought out to work with the Adelaide Conservatorium and the Adelaide Orchestra. He was appointed conductor of the Adelaide Tramways Band in 1922 upon the resignation of Mr. Christopher Smith (“AN ENTHUSIASTIC MUSICIAN,” 1921; “NEW DIRECTOR FOR TRAMWAYS BAND.,” 1922).
In the same article that quoted Mr. Foote, Mr. W. Levy, then President of the South Australian Band Association (SABA), also supported Mr. Ord Hume’s remarks.
He is correct so far as the conductors are concerned,” he said, “and through there are some fine bandmasters, here there are many who can only bring a band up to a certain standard. […] Lieut. Ord Hume is one of the leading authorities on bands in the world, and his remarks should be treated with respect.
Almost immediately there was reaction from another member of the South Australian band community. Two days later, a letter was sent to The News newspaper by Mr. C. J. Madge, bandmaster of the Unley Municipal Band where he was very critical of the attitudes of Mr. Ord Hume, Mr. Foote, and Mr. Levy.
…the latest statement of Mr. Foote, in which he criticises the ability of our present conductors, is an insult to the intelligence of a body of men who are freely giving of their best in the interests of bands in Australia. The painfully correct playing of which Mr. Ord Hume and Mr. Foote complain was the playing that carried the Newcastle Steelworks Band ahead of the best bands that Britain and her conductors could produce. But Mr. Hume went farther, and stated that that there were even better bands in Australian than that at Newcastle. These better bands are conducted by Australian conductors whom Mr. Foote characterises as leading bands which only muddle along.
The remarks of Mr. W. Levy (president of the Bands Association) also call for comment. It is hard to credit that the president of the bands criticises the men who work for practically no or little remuneration. Certainly the conductors can improve, and from what we say of Mr. Ord Hume, while in Adelaide he, too, is not infallible, but it was hardly expected that our president would criticise bandmasters, and thus probably sow the first seeds of dissatisfaction in the bands he professes to cherish.
The colloquially titled letter writer, ‘Dulcet’ chimed in with a smaller letter published on the same day as Mr. Madge’s letter which suggested that Mr. Ord Hume “adapted his criticisms to suit various audiences” (Dulcet, 1925) – Mr. Ord Hume apparently said one thing in Australia and then upon returning to England he contradicted previous words – which may or may not be true – people had their opinions.
A day later after Mr. Madge’s letter had been published, Mr. W. Levy, wrote his own letter to clarify his previous comments and refute Mr. Madge.
It is not my intention to enter on a newspaper controversy, but I cannot allow to pass unnoticed the comment of Mr. C. J. Madge in regard to myself. When I expressed my opinion respecting Mr. Ord Hume’s remarks on bands and conductors in Australia my intention was not to criticise “the men who work for practically no or little remuneration.” I simply stated a fact as it presents itself to me, and shall indeed be sorry if the opinion expressed “sows the first seed of dissatisfaction in the bands I profess to cherish.
Unfortunately, the truth is hurtful at times, but one must sometimes be “cruel to be kind.” No one more than myself holds conductors and bandsmen in higher regard, or recognizes to the full the amount of hard work and sacrifices entailed by these men. Yet I cannot hide the fact that there are bandmasters who, unfortunately, for the bands concerned, have their limitations. They work hard and conscientiously unto their limit.
It was all very well and good for Mr. Levy to make these comments in his letter, and to try to clarify his attitudes towards band conductors. There is no doubting that he was trying to do the best he could for the band community. Certainly, Mr. Ord. Hume was a highly respected band authority. Maybe his remarks were taken out of context and misinterpreted by Mr. Foote and Mr. Levy…?
Some days later, another letter from Mr. A. B. Michell, Honorary Secretary of The Mitcham Band was published in The News newspaper where he took apart Mr. Ord Hume’s remarks.
Lieut. J. Ord Hume states that “Australian bands are ahead of their bandmasters,” but he does not say in what particular. Then he declares that “professional conductors are a necessity for the improvement of Australian bands.” This seems ridiculous when the population of Australia is compared to that of Britain. And you can count on ten fingers all the first-class all the first-class English bandmasters.
…and muddying the waters even more, Mr. Michell wrote,
I was surprised to learn of Mr. Foote supporting the statements of Mr. Hume because on one occasion when I spoke to him of Mr. Ord Hume, Mr. Foote said that he did not know of him in the musical world at home.
One wonders what the public thought of these exchanges.
In concluding this section, we can see some valid points come across. Firstly, the opinions of renowned bandsmen did not truly reflect or understand the Australian context. No doubt these visiting bandsmen meant well and tried to support the local band movement as best they could, however, their opinions did cause some controversy. Secondly, Australian bandmasters needed proper training to become bandmasters. The bandmasters needed to know more than just conducting, they needed to be musicians and teachers, and this will be partly explored in the next section. Thirdly, it was all very well saying tuition was the key, and the people that said this were probably correct. If tuition is the key, then the solution of setting up training programs is obvious, and it was. Except, as we will see in the third section of this post, that was easier said than done.
WANTED, CONTEST BANDMASTER. Cornet-Player preferred. Boulder City Band. Salary £5 per week. We have a good Band, 26 members, full instrumentation. Apply early. JAS. HARRIS, Sec., Box 19, Boulder, W.A.
If we were to read the many articles surrounding the bandmasters of old, we would see some common threads. One thread is that for the smaller bands and mainly country bands, the bandmaster they gained was most often a local music teacher who possibly had some knowledge of brass instruments. Mr. E. H. McKee, newly appointed bandmaster of the Port Macquarie Band in 1919 was a prime example. He was reputed to be able to play almost all instruments and was essentially a teacher of “violin, piano, banjo” (no mention of his brass playing credentials) – however, he was certified from Trinity College London (“New Bandmaster.,” 1919). There were many others like Mr. McKee.
The other common thread was that the bandmaster was a highly credentialed and trained Cornet player that had climbed the ranks of the brass band movement and was then encouraged or assumed the role of bandmaster. Some of them were legendary musicians. One can see by the photo of the Victorian Bandmasters’ Association at the top of this post that these musicians were the very pinnacle of bandsmen. They were also very fine conductors and adjudicators (de Korte, 2020a). So, within the band movement at the time, when it came to the appointing of new bandmasters, the preference was to gain a person who was also a Cornet player – the advertisements of the time which can be viewed through this section attest to this practice.
However, this was problematic, and it drew criticism. In 1908 an article was published in The Age newspaper outlining what it would take to improve band music. The author touched on many aspects, but one that stood out was tuition of bandsmen and bandmasters. There were some quite pointed words.
Our bandsmen, save in some isolated instances, seldom achieve real mastery, not because they lack ability or the necessary perseverance, but because they get too little tuition. What is more hampering, the tuition is not always of the best. Most of it is done by the bandmasters, and these, putting aside one or two who can be credited with good work, are mostly unequal to the task. They are as a rule cornet players, and their proficiency in this respect is supposed to give them the wherewithal to train recruits in the use of the saxhorn, the euphonium, the trombone, and what not.
This may have been a very Australian way of doing things (and we can draw from Mr. Ord Hume’s remarks in 1902/03 about just how the Australian band movement tended to have its own way of operating). As mentioned, James Ord Hume wrote a long article for The British Bandsmen in 1909 and the Cairns Post newspaper reprinted this article. It was not specifically directed at Australian bands. Although, we can see in his writing some indirect criticisms that would be applicable to Australian bands as evidently, some English bands were also appointing bandmasters who were Cornet players.
One of the members generally one who can blow a cornet, is the lucky choice as the bandmaster, regardless of his experiences or capability as a teacher, as long as he is good hard blower of the cornet.
[…]
No man appreciates the artistic cornet playing teacher better than I do. I consider that an artiste upon his instrument is the very best instructor. It is not to this class of cornet player I refer to but to the band that is continually advertising for a bandmaster – “cornet player preferred.” Why does this band not advertise honestly for a cornet player and have done with it? It is in such matters as this that ruination gradually comes in. The best instrumentalists are not necessarily the best teachers, and more than the best teachers should be also artists and instrumentalists.
He wrote further in this article on the problems of tuition (it was one of his favourite topics after all) and there is much to be taken from this article. But this did not end the criticism of the Australian band movement when it came to employing bandmasters. Many years later in 1932, a Mr. Frederick J. Nott, teacher of “organ trumpet, harmony, counterpoint and composition” at the Melbourne Conservatorium was interviewed by The Mercury newspaper when he was holidaying in Hobart in 1932 (“MUSIC AND MUSICIANS,” 1932). He was not a stranger to bands having played in A.I.F. bands and he understood the band movements in Britain and Australia. He had a bit to say about the training and qualifications of Australian band conductors.
Reacting to the suggestion that more musicianly conductors would make a vast different to bands, Mr. Nott said: “Yes, the mistake is often made of appointing a man as bandmaster because he is a good cornet-player. The proper place of such a man is as solo-performer, not as conductor. The ideal conductor is a thoroughly trained musician, and, let me add, he should, if possible, have a practical knowledge of every instrument in the band. A trained musician will not allow those crudities of interpretation to pass that are often heard from bands under the beat of solo-cornetists. […] In Australia on the other hand, a man who can play his cornet with a good tone and fair execution, without being able to explain the simplest problems in theoretical music, is considered a fit person to train and conduct a band. This, of course, is all wrong. It would be far better to get a trained musician as conductor, even if he could not play, as long as he understood the principles and the technique of the instruments.
We can see the pattern of what Mr. Nott was describing simply through the many advertisements, so it is no surprise that he was criticising the fact that many band conductors in Australia had gained their position because they were Cornet players who just happened to be bandmasters as well, or vice versa. Bearing in mind that this was some years after the comments from Mr. Ord Hume which is telling; it means that Australian bands were still hidebound by a practice of employing Cornetist-Bandmasters who may or may not have been good musicians. Again, it signifies that training specifically designed for bandmasters was not available at the time, there was no Australian Band & Orchestra Director’s Association for example, nor were there the courses (ABODA Victoria, 2018). So, in a sense, it wasn’t the fault of the Australian band movement that they kept to the status quo for so many years – there was no alternative.
Regarding the points made about the musical knowledge of conductors at the time, there were some interesting stories about conductors who prided themselves and were very confident about their abilities as conductors. Once instance was in 1914 when the then conductor of the Wagga Town Band, Mr. W. G. Philpott took umbrage to malicious rumours that had been circulating about him – “Old Philpott and his mob” (and other rumours about drinking) – so he issued a challenge to Mr. A. Long, conductor of the Junee Municipal Band which was republished in various regional newspapers (“Bandmaster’s Challenge.,” 1914).
I, the undersigned, hereby challenge Mr. A. Long bandmaster, or prospective bandmaster of the Junee Municipal Band, to compete against me for a knowledge of the science of music, from the most elementary rudiments to the highest branches of theory, harmony, counterpoint, and fugue composition, and instrumentation; […] I also challenge Mr. Long to compete against me as a bandmaster for a knowledge of the acoustic properties of all brass band instruments and scientific tuning, band training and conducting.
There was more to this challenge including getting the bands to face off against each other. It is interesting that the very facets of musical knowledge that Mr. Philpott is using as a challenge are the streams of knowledge that Mr. Ord Hume and others are saying that several Australian bandmasters lack. Perhaps they were right, and Mr. Philpott was an exception. Further to this little story, this was all there was in the papers about this. The challenge was issued but it appears there were no further developments.
The Longreach Town Band marching band in a procession to the Railway Station, leaving for Townsville to compete in the band contests at Easter, 1928. (Source: State Library of Queensland: 167364)
Bandmasters came to bands with a range of experiences and qualifications. So what were bands after, aside from the seemingly obligatory cornetist? Let us look to the Longreach Town Band where in 1928 they undertook a search for a new bandmaster. They presented a rationale for this decision which was at the head of a long article published in The Longreach Leader newspaper in June 1928.
At a meeting of the committee of the Longreach Town Band on Monday the terms under which the present Bandmaster (Mr. F. Affoo) was employed were fully discussed, and it was eventually decided that he could not be re-engaged under his terms, and applications are to be called through the Press for a new Bandmaster.
The experience of the Longreach Town Band is actually a very useful case study as a month later, another article was published in The Longreach Leader newspaper which detailed some of the discussion of the committee and it detailed the qualifications and experience of all fifteen applicants. There were some interesting points of view from the committee.
Mr. Cullimore contended that the first point to consider was the musical ability of the man they wanted and then the finance unless they got a good man it was certain they would not get the public support.
Mr. J. Coates did not agree; he thought the first and vital point to consider was finance, with musical ability next. The Band was not in the fortunate position of the Longreach Football League who received big gates for their matches. The Band had to depend upon money from concerts.
Mr. Browne disagreed with Mr. Coates. For a little extra money that might be involved a good man would be far more satisfactory to the Band and the public; the public would support the band for a fist class man but not for a conductor that was no good.
From looking through the applications of the fifteen bandsmen who applied for the Bandmaster position at Longreach, we can see some patterns emerge.
Twelve out the fifteen were already conductors of bands with two of them having the additional experience of having conducted an orchestra and a choir. The other three had no conducting experience with one of those three a Mr. Alf Cereso of Red Hill, Brisbane only stating that he had “wide experience in concert work.”
Eight of the applicants were Cornet players, some of whom listed their competition successes, others who just listed that they had fulfilled the role of Solo or Soprano Cornetists with various bands. Five did not list which instrument they played. Unusually for an application to become a bandmaster, Mr. A. E. Gallagher from Wallsend, N.S.W. proudly noted that he had been the Solo Euphonium and Baritone of the Newcastle Steelworks Band on their tour to England – but he had no conducting experience.
Another interesting pattern can be observed from these applications. Several of the bandsmen who applied listed that they had been part of many bands in the past, either as a player or conductor. We might call these bandsmen, ‘Journeyman Bandsmen’. In a measure of where these bandsmen had been, eleven had experiences in multiple bands. Out of those eleven, four had experiences with bands in other countries – two of them in New Zealand and two in England. And out of those eleven, most had experience from interstate bands with Victoria and New South Wales being most prominent. Some of the bands from interstate were impressive – Mr. V. Braddock (Warragul, Victoria) had played Cornet with the Malvern Tramways Band on their tour to New Zealand, Mr. F. A. Nicholls (Nundah) had once played professional cornet with the Geelong Harbour Trust Recreation Band Club, and it has been mentioned re Mr. A. E. Gallagher who had played Euphonium and Baritone with the Newcastle Steelworks Band. And some of these applicants claimed military band experience as well.
The band had to make a choice, and this was detailed near the end of the article.
After considerable discussion it was decided that Arthur J. Rees’ application should be accepted (terms £2/10/ weekly, with position, or £5 a week until a position could be secured for him.)
Mr. Fred Wedd, Innisfail was second choice, and Mr. Geo. B. Shakespeare (Longreach) was third choice.
The application from Mr. Rees had been quite detailed.
Over 40 years of age, with more than 20 years experience as player and conductor of contesting bands at Home (England), and also several years experience as conductor of male choirs; in Australia six months: at present conductor of Parkes Band, which position he secured out of 17 applications; but was desirous of leaving because employment could not be found for him; started a band of learners at Parkes (19 strong), and about September or October next expected his two sons (17 and 19 respectively) from England, who were good solo cornetists at present playing for T. J. Rees, the well-known conductor of South Wales; these boys would be brought to Longreach if positions could be found for them later on; he was receiving £2/10/ – at Parkes.
Employment outside of the band was a contributing, and necessary factor in these times. A previous post about Australian bands during the Great Depression touched on the issues regarding bandsmen being employed in and around where bands were located (de Korte, 2020b).
There is much we can take from this section regarding the qualifications and experience of bandmasters, and the fact that bands wanted bandmasters who were skilled Cornet players. Clearly, some disagreed with this practice, and they had their reasons. While some Bandmasters were very experienced, it could be argued bandmasters on a whole needed some real training specific to their position. This will be detailed in the next section.
To conclude, bandmasters were revered by many. In October 1908, an impassioned letter was published in The Ballarat Star newspaper asking municipal authorities to do what they could so that Mr. Albert Wade, then conductor of the Ballarat City Band, might stay in Ballarat. The letter was countersigned by many of the leading musical figures in Ballarat led by Mr. Fred Sutton (Sutton et al., 1908).
This section will examine the crux of the issues outlined in the first two sections, that of actual training for bandmasters. Over the course of fifty years, many plans were put forward to provide training to bandmasters as it was perceived, and in some cases demonstrated, that bandmasters lacked proper training which was applicable to their positions. However, this was where band associations and conservatoriums could have been more proactive. The evidence shows that many plans were put forward to train bandmasters. The evidence also shows that none of these plans came to be. This is not to say that some of the training bandmasters were receiving through their experiences in bands was wholly bad as there were some legendary conductors coming through. But overall, it could have been much better.
It must be recognized that many Australian bandmasters did not have the support of their local towns to send them overseas for more musical training, Percy Jones being a prime example as the city of Geelong paid for him to go to Europe to study (“BANDMASTER PERCY JONES.,” 1907). An Australian system had to be found.
In the second section, an article on improving band music published in The Age newspaper was quoted with the author making some pertinent points. The author also suggested some solutions regarding training.
England has its Kneller Hall, where bandsmen are trained in all that appertains to their work; other countries have similar institutions. Why not Australia? Here, if following the English model, bandsmen – training as professionals – could be taught music on the best academic lines, and these would be the men who would act the standard of band cultures throughout the country. No very large amount would be required, and if the band associations move in the matter there seems no reason why a workable scheme should not take shape.
There are a few things to unpack out of this paragraph that provide some context. One is the issue of tuition for bandmasters. Fair enough, they probably should have more knowledge to do their jobs and a school for bandmasters would probably be useful. But setting up an institution like the famed Kneller Hall in Australia purely for the training of largely amateur bandmasters was probably a bit too much. It was not the first time Kneller Hall would be mentioned in connection with these plans.
Mr. Henri Verbrugghen was a superb Belgian violinist and down-to-earth musician who was chosen to become the foundation head of the new N.S.W. Conservatorium of Music in 1915 (Carmody, 2006). By all accounts, he was a truly great teacher and administrator, and he recognized that musical training should be open to all. He also knew that there were many genres of music that people participated in, and he wanted to offer courses at the Conservatorium that would cater for all kinds of musicians, including those who were part of the brass band movement.
To this end special provision is to be made for the formation of a school of brass and military band instrumentation in the Conservatorium. Classes for the teaching of all a well-equipped bandmaster ought to know will be formed, and those who direct or intend to direct bands will be given every opportunity for perfecting themselves in the art of conducting. […] The scheme will take a little time to perfect, but the director is confident that if sufficient brass and reed students present themselves there will be no difficulty in finding the instructors among our local professional ranks.
This was very forward thinking by Mr. Verbrugghen, especially when considering the local conditions at the time. What is not apparent is whether these classes were fully introduced – it would have been transformative if they had gone ahead. In saying so, he respected the band movement. He adjudicated at the South Street Eisteddfod in 1921 where he was very impressed with the playing of the brass bands (“HENRI VERBRUGGHEN ON BRASS BANDS.,” 1921). So much so, that after South Street had concluded, he invited the Malvern Tramways Band to perform with his own orchestra, a fine compliment paid to this band (“MUSIC.,” 1921).
Postcard: Conservatorium of Music, Sydney N.S.W. (Source: Jeremy de Korte personal collection)
In the 1930s, a flurry of articles was published in Tasmania and Queensland newspapers advocating for institutions to be set up specifically for the training of bandsmen and band conductors. Again, had these plans been carried beyond the talking stage then they would have made a difference. Unfortunately, none of them did. We see that in 1933 that comments were made by music critic Mr. F. Bonavia where he thought that conducting classes at music festivals might be a good idea, however, he acknowledged that a few weeks of teaching would not be long enough (“Amateur Conductors.,” 1933).
1934 saw the official launch of the Australian Band Council. This was covered in a previous post, but one item that was mentioned was the setting up of a “school of band music, on lines similar to the Knellar Hall in England.” (de Korte, 2019; “HALL OF BAND MUSIC,” 1934). A fine idea, but it was an idea that was subsequently dropped due to expense (“BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS,” 1934).
The Mercury newspaper published an interesting article in 1934 where, again, the need for training conductors was highlighted, especially in the band movement. This was the year that Capt. Adkins was taking the A.B.C. Military Band on tour around the country, and he was interviewed by various newspaper around the country. The Mercury quoted and summarised Mr. Thorold Waters who had penned an article in the Australian Musical News.
Mr. Waters adds that as far as anyone seems to be aware there is not in the whole Commonwealth any place or man to whom the student might turn for lesson in conducting. He stresses the urgent need to founding a school for conductors – not necessarily an institution as complete as Kneller Hall – but one where the bad fashions of conducting rife in Australia could be altered at small cost.
This is probably the most useful statement on setting up a conducting school as it clearly says that a school is necessary, but it did not have to be like Kneller Hall of which so many writers and other administrators thought was needed for Australian bandmasters.
In a final word from these fifty years of plans and ideas, Mr. D. T. Beston, Secretary of the Australian Bands’ Council, suggested that “Tasmania should open up new fields for training bandsmen” – whatever this means (“TRAINING FOR BANDSMEN,” 1949).
Fifty years of plans with nothing much to show for it. Thankfully, in recent times, the training of conductors has become fully ingrained with the Conservatoriums and we have professional associations like ABODA to provide specific courses (ABODA Victoria, 2018).
Conclusion:
There is no doubting that these three intertwined issues surrounding the training and qualifications of Australian bandmasters were complex, opinionated, fractured and not very forthcoming. And history has not been kind. Why would it be? The Australian band movement faced an amount of criticism by those who did not really understand the Australian context or needs of Australian bands and bandmasters. It was not the fault of the Australian band movement that some conditions, like the employment of Cornetist-Bandmasters was kept up for so many years in the face of no other option. These ‘critics’ ignored the significant achievements of Australian bands at home and abroad.
Certainly, if the band associations and conservatoriums had worked to provide more training for bandmasters, a difference could have been made. The musical leaders of the time probably felt let down. But they persevered, and many of our bands survived. The Australian band conductors of the past, present and future should be congratulated for their work.
AUSTRALIAN BANDS : Lack Good Conductors : SAYS THE KING’S TRUMPETER. (1908, 13 November). Australian Star (Sydney, NSW : 1887 – 1909), 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article229091651
CROTCHETS AND QUAVERS : CONSERVATORIUM PROGRESS : MILITARY BAND SCHOOL : THE MELBOURNE RECITAL. (1915, 17 October). Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 – 1954), 22. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221915763
A GREAT BANDMASTER : LIETENANT J. ORD HUME IN ADELAIDE : AUSTRALIAN BANDSMEN PRAISED. (1924, 30 October). Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 – 1931), 10. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73434557
LONGREACH TOWN BAND : FULL DISCUSSION ON BANDMASTER’S POSITION : APPLICATIONS TO BE CALLED FOR BANDMASTER. (1928, 15 June). Longreach Leader (Qld. : 1923 – 1954), 12. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37342371
MR. J. ORD HUME : AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW : WHAT AUSTRALIAN BANDS LACK. (1903, 25 February). Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 – 1924), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article208462723
Musical band procession in Longreach, 1928. (1928). [photographic print : black & white]. [167364]. Brisbane John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Queensland. https://hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/132618
The Newly Formed Victorian Bandmasters’ Association. (1931). In S6.3.1 – Album Projects (Photocopies) (Photocopies of printed photographs ed., Vol. Album 3). Victoria: Victorian Bands’ League Archive.
Ord Hume, J. (1909, 04 November). Training a Bandsman : THE AFTER EFFECTS OF POOR TUITION : (By Mr. J. Ord Hume, in “The British Bandsman.”). Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 – 1954), 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39381330
Sutton, F., Gude, W., Opie, T., West, H., Mooney, J. T., Eyres, C., Bailey, J. C., Boustead, W. M., Hautrie West, W., & Herbert, G. (1908, 27 October). CORRESPONDENCE : THE CITY BANDMASTER : To The Editor of ‘The Star’. Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 – 1924), 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article218563934
Thirst, T. (2006). James Ord Hume 1864-1932 : a friend to all bandsmen : an account of his life and music. Timothy Thirst.
Band Blasts from the Past 