Music
has been a big part of our family activities through the generations.
My
grandfather sang in the church choir before he came to Canada in 1907 and was
an entertainer at many social events in the communities of Keoma and Irricana,
Alberta. In 1925, he was the star vocalist and comedian in the comedy, Nothing
But the Truth, an event held to raise funds to purchase a piano for the
new community hall. He also sang at many social events at the local school. Neighbours
remembered hearing him singing at full voice as he worked outside at his farm.
As
a child I took music lessons for many years, learning to play the baritone
(horn). From that I could play anything with valves. For many years I was one
of the smallest kids with one of the biggest horn. I also tried (not very hard I’ll
admit) to learn the violin in a short and painful series of lessons for me and everyone around me.
 |
1956 – students
of Joseph Hopkins in an early brass ensemble. Wayne is second from the right.
Mr. Hopkins is standing in front of the picture hanging on the wall.
My
music teacher, Mr. Joseph Hopkins (1904-1981) was a marvelous musician and
teacher who could play and teach others to play almost every instrument. He
assembled both a brass band and an orchestra featuring all of his students that
played at local concerts and competitions. There are many photos and personal
certificates related to his career in the Glenbow Archives in
Calgary, with this short description of the man: Joseph W. Hopkins, 1904-1981, was born in Prague, Bohemia and graduated
from the Prague Conservatory of Music. He immigrated to Calgary, Alberta in
1927 and became the founder and principal of the Hopkins School of Music. He organized
classes in the towns of Innisfail, Olds, Bowden, Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, Lacombe
and Calgary. Students from his schools formed a student symphony, brass band
and Hawaiian orchestras. His students won many awards at the Kiwanis Music
Festivals in Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge. He was a member of the Alberta
Registered Music Teachers Association.
I
was very lucky that my parents found Mr. Hopkins. He was an excellent teacher and a dedicated professional in giving all his students the opportunity
to play with others in larger bands and orchestras.
 |
1959 Hopkins
School of Music brass band composed all of students of Joseph Hopkins
In
high school I played in the band (baritone) and a small four-piece combo (valve
trombone). While attending university I played in a pick-up Dixieland band
organized by one of my geology professors.
 |
1969 – some members
of the Prospectors, a pick-up Dixieland jazz group. In all there were over a
dozen musicians from all walks of life who dropped in to jam on a regular
basis.
I
bought my first grandson an electronic piano when he was a small boy. This six-foot
high school student now plays an upright bass in the school band, orchestra and
jazz ensemble as well as being a pretty good piano player. His brother is
taking up the piano and guitar. My granddaughter is an accomplished ballerina at the
tender age of 13. We hope she will be able to pursue dance in her adult life.
Her little brother is learning the saxophone.
 |
2017 – Shepheard
grandchildren musicians and performers
Music
is in our Shepheard blood although it was not a main pursuit of every generation.
I like to think my ancestors also had musical talents – where else would I have
gotten mine – but there is no way to know if that was true to any great
extent.
In
past centuries people certainly were entertained by and participated in musical
activities. We can’t hear them sing or dance, so we have to guess at what
entertainment they liked based on stories and songs that have been preserved in
print. With luck we can hear present-day performers tackle the old versions to
get an idea of how they sounded and were received by audiences hundreds of
years ago. The church was generally the central gathering place in many
communities, especially in the rural areas. Choirs would lead the congregation
on Sundays but these same people might also be highlight singers as other
social events and encourage many residents to join them.
I
searched for information on music from the 17th to 19th
centuries to try to find out what people listened to, primarily in Britain as
most of my ancestors come from that region. I am sure that readers could find
many examples from other countries.
A
few websites worth visiting include:
Widipedia
(of course):
This
is a brief outline of the development of Western art music written during the
Classical period between 1730 and 1820.
Commercial
music enjoyed its origins in the music halls of the 16th and 17th
centuries.
This
is an article by Gavin Dixon published in Limelight
Magazine 2013 in which he comments on music evolution from the Middle Ages
onward. Gavin discusses music of all types from classical to jazz.
This
blog piece was published in The Guardian
by Suzy Klein in 201. Suzy points out that popular music, for the masses, as it
originally conceived, began as the middle class grew in Britain through the
1700s. It is a very good introduction to the rise of performance art in many
venues from pubs to music halls.
The
originator, Lesley Nelson-Burns, has assembled songs from many regions and
sources. Both lyrics and musical accompaniment can be experienced. Folk music
was probably the hit parade of the day with songs sung and played in many
venues from local pubs to community social gatherings.
I
am sure there are lots more sites to investigate. And maybe one day I will find
out more about whether my ancestors were musical.
Wayne
Shepheard is a retired geologist and active genealogist. He volunteers with the
Online Parish Clerk
program in England, handling four parishes in Devon, England. He has published a
number of articles about various aspects of genealogy in several family history
society journals. Wayne has also served as an editor of two such publications.
He provides genealogical consulting services through his business, Family History Facilitated.
No comments:
Post a Comment