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Band members have come and gone during the years, listed on the roster
of Rockport Legion Band.
Guests of the town, however, during Rockport's
years of growth, have not been forgotten, and are listed
in the historical
data. Mark Twain, in the late 1800's was here as a lecturer. Buffalo Bill rode
through
Rockport at one time, after putting on a show.
Finally
the post had a band--but NO bandstand. Through the combined efforts of the
Selectmen and Post
98, Federal Funds appropriation was given for labor
costs. Kendall & Young designed the bandstand.
Work was supervised by
Director Ernest Nelson assisted by John Huttenen and John Anderson. As it
was
strictly a Rockport product construction, 225 tons of local granite and
stone; 7 polished slabs of granite
for the sides were donated by Louis A.
Rogers and Rockport Granite Commission.
July 22, 1938 the new
bandstand was dedicated. The U.S.S. Mississippi was in Rockport Harbor.
They
sent two details of sailors and marines, as well as the battleship
band. They participated in the big parade
and the ceremonies.
Representatives of state and town government, were present to hear Commander
Jim
Reilly deliver the dedication address.
Orginally Band
concerts were planned to raise monies for the band itself; the Boy Scouts, the
Christmas
Tree Fund, (a continuing collection done each year); for Veteran's
day here in Rockport where disabled
men from local hospitals are brought
here by the Legion for an entire day of recreation.
In 1935
Legionnaire Harrison B. Fears was elected Conductor. Under his direction the
band made rapid
progress setting up high standards for membership, with
music examinations for new members. Rockport
Legion Band became a first
class musical organization. New members came in from the Cape Ann area.
New
instruments were purchased and the music library was greatly enlarged. Over the
years, four band
music libraries have been bought. Music from the old
Clark's Band of Gloucester; latest addition from the
former Gloucester
Legion Band. By far the largest collection of music was from Holub's Band of
Boston.
A truck was sent to Wenham to pick up this material. Band library
includes, today, 500 large concert
numbers; nearly 300 marches; probably 500
old and new popular music including show tunes, popular
tunes, Broadway
musicals. Under the supervision of Band Librarian these are all properly
catalogued and
filed.
This band has represented Legion Post
98 in convention parades throughout the years in New York, in
Boston, for
which they raised the money to subsidized their entire trip expenses.
One of the outstanding qualities of these men of Rockport Legion
Band is their desire to interest young
people in band music, and in playing
in bands. As far back as 1937 the Legion Band sponsored an article
in the
Gloucester Times hoping to get together a band from the local schools, in the
schools. Having met
with parents and pupils, demonstrating the instruments
in the band, a band was formed and directed by
Hermon Erwin, a member of
Legion Band and a teacher in the high school. Members of the
various
sections of the band assisted in coaching these new musicians.
1940 was Rockport's Centennial year, in commemoration of which
Harrison B. Fears wrote "Rockport
Centennial March" a selection which has
been and is played by the band at its summer concerts.
Rockport
Legion Band has had soloists during their summer concerts. They have also had
guest
conductors who have 'sat in' during an evening's concert and played
with the men. 1933-1990, fifty-seven
years of lovely, memorable music played
at Rockport Bandstand each Sunday evening during July and
August.
Fifty-seven years fulfilling a tradition which began in accordance with
their by-laws which read: "to
provide the Town of Rockport with a community
band" and has continued since 1933. Conductors are
elected by band members
and the following men have served as Directors of Rockport Legion Band
since
its formation: Ernest Nelson; Harrison B. Fears; A. Pierce Grover;
Ralph Parsons; Russell Scatterday;
Stuart Lane; Andrew Jacobson; Jake
Knuttenen; Wilton Syckes; Donald Poole; William Crowell, Present
Conductor,
who sincerely feels that a great deal of credit for keeping the band alive and
active belongs to
Russell Seatterday and Stuart Lane, both of whom conducted
the band for several terms.
Rockport's Music Men have some very
interesting recollections of incidents which have occurred in these
past
fifty-seven years from 1933 to now.
When they were in the
service a little paper called "The Bugle" was sent to every member in all of
the
branches of the armed forces. So accurate was this news bulletin about
band members that several
members discovered they were to be in an area when
other members would be there. Because of this
some men who had not seen each
other for a time met for a reunion.
In other recollections,
Rockport Legion Band has been fortunate enough to have 'sit-ins' as guest
players
in many concerts,. One evening alone guest players included: Jacob
Knuttenen of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra and the Handel & Hayden
Society playing trumpet; Chester Roberts of Cleveland Symphony
on Tuba; Saul
Goodman of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra on timpani; on another occasion
Cyrus
Durgin music critic from Boston conducted the band. In 1940,
Rockport's centennial year (40th) they had
Ranny Weeks, well-known orchestra
leader conducting as guest conductor. In that year Mr. Weeks was
Dean of
Boston University Law School.
Rockport Legion has a music
library the envy of many musicians fortunate to have had the chance to
refer
to it. Their musical scores include overtures, selections from operatic scores;
ballet suites, musical
comedy selections, concert and traditional marches,
waltzes, popular tunes and patriotic selections.
Instrumentally Rockport
Legion Band is equally well-equipped. Base horns, sousaphone, kettle
drums,
mellophone, cymbals, glockenspeil, bells. Of course, some members of
the band own their own
instruments.
Promptly at 7:30 p.m. at
North Shore's own Esplanade Beach Street, Back Beach, the Rockport
Bandstand
is the bandstand from which the summer series of outdoor concerts are played,
every Sunday
evening, during July and August--a custom in its fifty seventh
year. Front-row seats are usually from your
own automobile. Unless, of
course, you prefer sitting on your own chair or blanket, on the grass
around
the Bandstand, a vantage point from which one can observe the
musicians more closely.
Be early--bring your friends--see you at
the opening concert.
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