Genealogy: Beyond the BMD: Music

Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts

Wednesday, 2 August 2017

Canada 150 - The Kilties Band

During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...

The Kilties Band

Kilties Band of Belleville, Ontario 1902-1933

The Kilties were a well known Scottish band and choir based in Belleville, Ontario. They toured around Canada, the United States and Europe, even giving a performance for the King.

This souvenir album is full of songs, some I remember as favourites of my grandfather.

There are many photos of the band members. If you know who the gentlemen are in the photos, you can write it in the comments below.

Since the band went to Europe 1904-1905 I checked passenger lists, and sure enough, they are listed coming home through Quebec City on the Kensington on 18 June 1905. The ships information is on page 1019, and the Kiltie passengers and their families are on pages 1032-1033.

You can also check border crossings for when they toured the US.

Was your ancestor a Kiltie?

Relevant Links

The Kilties, Souvenir Album: Songs and Marches of Auld Scotia 1905

Kilties Music on Virtual Grammaphone

Passenger List of Band Members returning from Europe on the Kensington, 18 Jun 1905

Saturday, 16 January 2016

The Pipes... The Pipes are Calling

Bagpipes were once used to call men to war, to encourage them to keep fighting and perhaps to help drown out the sounds of battle.

"Bagpiper Battle of Bazentin Ridge 14-07-1916 IWM Q 4012" by John Warwick Brooke

My Grampa was of Scottish descent, living in Montreal. When WWI started he heard the pipes calling his name, and he joined the Black Watch. He loved the sound of bagpipes and had some military marching records that he liked to listen to on the hi-fi (although Granny would have rather listened to the likes of Bing Crosby).

Relevant Links

Canadian Pipers of WWI

Piobaireachd Society (Highland bagpipe) List of Members, Scotland 1905

Piobaireachd: its origin and construction 1915

The story of the bagpipe. With illustrations, a bibliography and list of famous pipers 1911

The Pipes of War: a record of the achivements of pipers of Scottish and overseas regiments during the war, 1914-1918

The Piper's Memorial at Longueval

List of Bagpipe Makers (Wikipedia)

List of Bagpipes

List of Notable Pipers

“Caoineadh Cu Chulainn” on the Uilleann Pipes (Irish traditional) on YouTube

20 Top Military Bagpipe Marching Tunes - YouTube

Monday, 12 January 2015

Listen to the Music

There was always music in our house. If someone wasn't playing the piano, there were tunes playing on the HiFi. My parents had a big collection of 78's and LP's. They often had the neighbours in for a "sing-along-with Mitch" party. Mitch Miller's albums came with lyrics sheets to pass around. Mom and Dad also had some popular music of the 50's - some I remember are Trini Lopez singing La Bamba and Lemon Tree, Harry Belafonte singing the Banana Boat Song and a song about a cook who kept "one eye on the pot and t'other up the chimney". My Dad's favourites were Teresa Brewer and Rosemary Clooney (yes, George Clooney's Aunt).

Granny and Grampa had a HiFi in the dining area of their small flat, and Grampa loved to listen to bagpipes, Sousa marches and old WWI songs. Glad I wasn't his neighbour!! Granny liked the crooners. I remember one Christmas Granny wanted (and was expecting) a new stereo, but Grampa had other ideas. He gave her a huge portrait of himself in his WWI uniform that he had painted by his nephew Clemmie. Granny never did get her new stereo!

My parents bought me my first portable record player when I was about 9 or 10, with a couple of 45's that I just about wore out - Connie Francis singing "Stupid Cupid" and Fats Domino singing "Whole Lotta Lovin". I saved up my babysitting money to buy more 45's when the diners changed out the records in their jukebox - they sold the old ones for 25¢ or 5/$1.

As a teenager my favourite of my parent's albums was the soundtrack of the Helen Morgan Story, with Gogi Grant singing. I still have the album, which I also copied to cassette and then to CD to play in the car. I love most old musical movies so my favourite song list would be a very long one!

Up until now I have been telling you about books of genealogical value that you can see and download at Internet Archive, but that isn't all you will find at this site! There is also music, free to listen to or download. There are old WWI songs, the 40's and WWII, plus many of MY old favourites from the 50's and 60's, which I have added to my playlist!

There are other websites with old songs, try search on google with keywords: minstral music, music of 1800's, etc. Before there were recordings there was sheet music and some can be found on Internet Archive also. I am a big fan of Davy Crockett with Fess Parker and I have the sheet music, the 78 and the movie on VHS. At one time I had the sheet music for "God Bless Our Home" in a frame on my wall. My unfulfilled dream was to have a big music room with old instruments and my favourite album sleeves on the walls.

God Bless our Home : James E Stewart - at JScholarship Library

What music do you think your ancestors listened to, or played on an instrument?

Relevant Links

Helen Morgan (zipped album)

Connie Francis

Antoine "Fats" Domino

Pack up your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag (WWI)

It's a Long Way to Tipperary (WWI)

Andrew Sisters (Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy)

Al Jolson - collected works

Obscure 1950's singers - video

Ballad of Davy Crockett

Monday, 15 September 2014

It's Music to my Ears

Music was a big part of my life growing up. My Granny lived in a small 4 room cold-water flat in Verdun, but still made room for her piano. Granny went to school at a convent and was taught to play piano by the nuns. She played piano during hymn-sing for her ladies church group. When I was about 6-7 Granny gave her piano to my Mom, and the next fall I started Royal Conservatory piano lessons. My teacher was very strict, rapping my hands with her pencil every time a made a mistake. My mother also took piano lessons, and my older brother took accordion lessons. When my little brother was old enough he started piano lessons too, and that year at the annual recital we did a piano trio. When I became a teenager I wanted to learn the songs on the radio and my teacher was appalled! So I quit the lessons after Grade 7 and figured out my favourite songs myself on our piano at home. I painstakingly put every note on the staff, changing this one or that one, until I got it written down just right. Our piano sat in a nook off the living room, beside a floor to ceiling window and it was a haven for my emotional ups and downs during my teen years, putting it all in the music. I also learned from a friend how to play the ukulele, and this I would play on long family trips in the car.

When my grandparents came to visit, Granny would play the piano and I loved listening to her sing. Everyone would gather around and sing along, especially Grampa with his big booming voice. She started off with her favourite hymns then went to my Grampa's and Mom's favourite war songs. Sometimes my parents' friends would come over and then it would be old English pub songs. What a time we had!

On my Dad's side of the family, his 2 brothers both played the piano. When they were young they lived upstairs from a piano teacher who gave them lessons. My grandfather played the Banjo, apparently very well, but I don't remember hearing him play. My Dad always wished he could play an instrument, but he just didn't have the knack. His talent was carpentry. Every year around Christmas time the Seale's would get together and after eating we would all gravitate to the piano and start with singing Carols, and move on to the popular songs.

I inherited the ear for music, but unfortunately not the discipline or the talent. That means I can hear mistakes but can't help making them *sigh*. At my grade 6 exams I barely passed the practical, while getting First Class Honours on the theory. If you have an ear for music, you can probably learn languages easier, which I always like to do.

Do you have an ancestor that attended a music school? Following are a few links to music schools and programs, many having a roll of students in the back. You can also check for info on historical music schools at the local library.

UPDATE: After writing this article in preparation to upload on Monday, I learned today (Friday) that the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music has received a gift of $2.8M for training teachers to teach music in schools. FABULOUS! Read about it here.

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