Local music history — ‘A music loving community’

The weather was frightful.

“Yesterday was a cheerless day,” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported on Nov. 11, 1887. “A hail storm in the morning was followed by a chilling rain, which continued to fall during the remainder of the day and long into the night.”

The storm did not discourage concert goers from attending the Glens Falls Glee Club concert at the Glens Falls Opera House.

“When 500 people will venture out in a drenching rain storm such as prevailed last evening to attend a concert, it is safe to assume that we are a music-loving community.”

The St. Mary’s Band, an orchestra, a choir and the Rockwell Corps military precision marching unit joined the Glee Club for the grand concert, which featured a segment of war songs.

“During the rendering of war songs, the stage was set with tents, stacks of musketry, tripod and kettle, with soldiers lying around to present a camp scene.”

The concert left The Morning Star reviewer wanting to hear more.

“The concert was in every way a success and calls for a repetition in the near future.”

The concert netted $150 — the equivalent of $4,388 in 2021 dollars.

Here are more music history anecdotes collected from historic newspapers of the region.

• There was standing room only for the concert of the Glens Falls Boy Scout Band Feb. 11, 1923 at Church of the Messiah Parish House.

“The crowd began to arrive long before the hour set for opening the doors, and when the curtain rose for the first act, the hall was packed to the doors — many being obligated to stand.”

The Post-Star reported that the audience seemed particularly enthused with the band’s rendition of “The Iron Division” march.

“The Glens Falls Boy Scout Band has taken its rightful place as a musical organization.”

• Music news from Bolton Landing in 1875 made its way over Tongue Mountain and on through Hague to Ticonderoga.

“We have a Brass Band here of thirteen pieces, all new instruments. And after the practice they have had, they play very nicely,” reported the Bolton correspondent to the Ticonderoga Sentinel on Jan. 2,1875

• A Post-Star advertisement on Feb. 24, 1923 announced that Baritone C.B. Stewart of Troy would be guest soloist at the Adirondack Male Chorus “Grand Concert” Feb. 28 at Parish Hall in Glens Falls.

Quotable

• “Don’t forget to take your wife, mother, sister or someone else’s sister to the concert and recital Saturday evening.” — Middle Granville correspondent to The Granville Sentinel, Aug. 14, 1891.

Click here to read my most recent previous Local Music History post.