The Newmarket Citizens’ Band has a huge celebration coming up next year, so let’s take a look at its beginnings and the massive presence it has had in our history — the band has attended every major event that has occurred in Newmarket.
Newmarket citizens had long desired a band of their own dating back to our very beginnings. The first reference to one being formed appeared in the 1857 edition of the local newspaper. A group appealed to the public for assistance and offered to help themselves by giving concerts to raise money.
Their effort was successful as in 1860 they and the Fire Brigade were prominent in the reception for the Prince of Wales. That year, a blue silk flag made by hand by Mrs. J.J. Hunter, Mrs. Mulock, mother of Sir William, and Mrs. Alfred Boultbee, was presented to the band by Dr. J J. Hunter.
In 1861, the band had a successful picnic when it performed at the farm of Augustus Rogers with the Hook and Ladder Company, our early fire brigade. About 600 fellow citizens presented them with a three-story birthday cake.
During the years 1865 and 1866, there is no mention to be found of a local citizens band, but one from Sharon seemed to perform the honours for the village.
A dateless account refers to a story that the band had just purchased the abandoned wagon of a circus that had disbanded in the Newmarket area. It was an elaborate affair drawn by four horses in which the band travelled to Holland Landing, Sharon, Glenville, and other local centres.
They housed the wagon in a building that had been erected on a lot belonging to Thomas Bishop, the leader. The property also had a summer house in which the band practiced in warm weather. In 1872, the members of the band presented Thomas Bishop with a silver cornet.
At one time Newmarket’s excellent brass band was made up mainly of young players, among whom there was considerable evidence of our local musical talent. They were led by John D. Graham of Sharon.
In 1878, council gave permission for the band to use the council chamber to practice. At the time, they were known as the Mechanics’ Band. In 1882 the band asked council to appoint two trustees to act with one from the band to take charge of the instruments.
An early picture, taken in 1883, of the Newmarket Citizens’ Band at Niagara Falls shows Fred Saxon, Mr. Dales, Silas Soules, N.J. Roadhouse, Bert Cane, Stanley Scott, Mr. Doan, Fred Bogart, James Moffat and Mr. Hilborne with Amos Hughes as the band leader.
Ed Coates was the leader in 1887, following Thomas McDonald’s retirement due to what was referred to as ill health. With Mr. Coates were Robert Manning, Fred Hartry, John Fierheller, L.G. Jackson and Charles J. Smith. Thomas McDonald was re-appointed leader in 1895 at a salary of $50 per year.
The band was permitted to continue using the council chamber for practice, free of charge, but it was required to practice 100 nights a year and give 10 open air concerts. The bandmaster was held responsible for all the instruments, which seemed to be a completely new set that had been brought from England.
For several summers they played one evening each week at the different school grounds, taking with them coal oil torches on poles to provide light in order to see the music.
At one time, the band wore a classy uniform — frock coats, wide-brimmed soft felt hats with large white ostrich feathers on top. Some photographs still exist of this period. One winter, Capt. John Slatter came up from Toronto and instructed the band once a week.
The Newmarket Citizens’ Band was re-organized early in 1926, at which time Paul Arlitt was bandmaster. He would stay until late 1927. Orville Ganton was then hired and he directed the band until 1937 when Mr. Edward Wood, a band member, took over the leadership for a year or so.
Robert Moore, who had been a senior band leader during the First World War and bandmaster of Col. J. A.W. Allan’s 20th Battalion band was hired in 1938. He was to remain until 1947, at which time Wm. C. Greig, who had been with the Newmarket band since 1933, was hired and this is the bandmaster most of us remember.
Since 1933, the band won many cups and trophies at music festivals and at the Canadian National Exhibition in the class for bands from towns of up to 10,000 population. Directed by Orville Ganton, they won first prize in 1933 and 1934 at the Waterloo Band Festival.
In 1939 and 1940, they again won the Waterloo Festival first prize under Robert Moore.
Under the leadership of William Greig, they won the following contests: First prize at the Waterloo Festival 1950-1951; second prize at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1951-1955.
Perhaps their highest honor was won in 1956 when they were awarded first prize at the C.N.E. contest that was open to any town band from across Canada.
Other band leaders in Newmarket were Albert Chantler, H. Hawthorne, James Napier, Jack Querrie, Bert Ratcliffe, Allie Townley, Henry Lowe, Robert White and William Harrison.
Newmarket has been blessed with several local bands of extremely high quality. There was a Newmarket fife and drum band, but I could find only one reference to it, the fact that it was reorganized in 1894 with 15 players and a Mr. Stubbs the leader.
In the days before the First World War Great War, Newmarket boasted a splendid bugle band made up of members of the Pyramid Lodge, I.O O.F. The group consisted of George Young, Johnny Hughes, Robert Simpson, Lud Millar, Lem Atkinson, Percy Traviss, Ted Hatch, Joe Noble, Jack Weir, Theodore Bolton, Jim Thompson, Russel Brimson, Ward Clarkson, Jim Noble and Henry Lowe. A little Joe Noble, Jr. is grouped with this band.
In 1930-31, to stimulate a Santa Claus parade in town, Roy Rhinehart, William Andrews and Frank Smith borrowed eight bugles and four drums from the Oddfellows. Inspired by this, in November 1933, a bugle band of 20 members was organized by these three and the borrowed instruments were purchased from the I.O.O.F.
Entertainment was presented locally to raise funds to purchase the extra instruments needed for the 20 members. By kind permission of the council, the band held practice in the fire hall and in the spring of 1934 they held their first parade, each member of the band wearing a uniform consisting of blue trousers, white shirt, blue bow tie and blue beret and a scarlet and blue cape.
On July 12, 1934, this band took part in an Orange parade in Toronto, becoming known at that time as the R.S A. Bugle Band, officers of the Sentinel Lodge reporting the name to the Toronto papers and recording it in their minutes of the parade.
In Oshawa in 1935, the R.S.A. band won a silver cup, first prize, against four well-known bands. Again, they won a silver cup donated by the Royal Marines Fife and Drum Band at Oshawa, May 24, 1936.
“In February 1937 Mr. James Bradford of Toronto was engaged as instructor and the band officially opened the R.S.A. Bugle Band hall. Many donations of money were contributed by local people toward this building and 12 snare drums, 2 tenors, 1 bass drum, 1 pair of bell lyres and 25 piston bugles were purchased.”
On the coronation of King George and Queen Elizabeth on May 12, 1937, this band with its instruments, took part in the town’s celebrations in the morning and York County’s celebrations in the afternoon.
On July 9, 1938, they participated at Sunnyside, in August at the Canadian Corps reunion and on Saturday, Oct. 1, they won first cup at the York Band Festival in Aurora, receiving 96 points.
Amazingly, the R.S.A. Bugle Band won 13 cups and 420 medals over the years.
These are the forerunners of the local bands that we have around today. I can’t remember a major event happening in Newmarket without the presence of the local band.
For those who have never seen the National Film Boards production, Goodbye Sousa about our very own Newmarket Citizens’ Band, you really should check it out.
Sources: The History of Newmarket by Ethel Trewhella; Stories of Newmarket – An Old Ontario Town by Robert Terence Carter; The Newmarket Era, June 3, 1857 and Sept. 1860; Express Herald, Aug. 1931; Minutes of Newmarket Council, Sept. 1878 and March 1882; Citizens Band Souvenir Booklet, 1939
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NewmarketToday.ca brings you this weekly feature about our town’s history in partnership with Richard MacLeod, the History Hound, a local historian for more than 40 years. He conducts heritage lectures and walking tours of local interest, as well as leads local oral history interviews. You can contact the History Hound at thehistoryhound@rogers.com.
