Generally acknowledged as the first School Band in America is “The
Farm and Trades School Band” of Thompson’s Island, in Boston Harbor,
Massachusetts. This school, established in Boston in 1814, was moved to
its present location nineteen years later.
Nathaniel Hawthorne visited the Island school in 1837 and fully
described it in “The American Notebooks,” calling it “The Manual Labor
School for Boys.” Today, just as then, besides courses in Junior
and Senior high school studies, practical courses are taught in
Agriculture, iron forging, painting, printing, woodworking, mechanical
drawing, steam engineering and boat operation. The pupils spend half
their time in classes and half in working at their trades.
The School band was organized in 1857 and has been in continuous
existence ever since--for almost a century. The boys’ first attempt at
making music was on tissue paper-covered combs. This effect was soon
improved by the addition of a bass viol, three violins, a sax horn, a
cornopean and a small drum.
The principal of the school, John R. Morse, was director and general
supervisor, and a special instrument instructor assisted him. The band
increased in number rapidly and improved in its performance even more
quickly. The first concert was given in 1858, and the band proudly led
the procession when the School made its annual pilgrimage to Boston the
next year, 1859. This was probably the first public appearance of any
school band in the world.
There was little money available to spend on band equipment, but by
using suits of several different styles in a few odd shades, they
were fitted out with uniforms. New instruments had been obtained, and
each glistened like gold, although the horns, wobbling as the players
marched, pointed in various directions. Every proud bandsman carefully
donned his snowy white gloves before handling his instrument.
Although the band was only four years old when the Civil War began, the
director and sixteen former players enlisted as Musicians. Mr. Morse
returned from the War and completed a span of fifty years as director
of the band.
The high point in the band’s history, as well as the greatest event
in the lives of its members at that time, was playing at the Peace
Jubilee. In response to an invitation from Patrick Gilmore, the famous
band conductor, the Farm and Trades School Band played in his great
1,000-man band at the first Peace Jubilee at Boston in 1869. Ever
afterwards those boys boasted of having performed with this group of
bandsmen from at least five different countries.
The present bandmaster, Mr. Frank L. Warren, was chosen in 1923. A
thorough musician, he is exceptionally well-fitted for this office.
He directs several bands in the Boston area, is a member of various
musical organizations--among them, the U. S. Army-Navy Bandsmen’s
Association and the 101st Engineers’ Band. He inspires the school boys
with a genuine love of music and a real joy in playing. The Farm and
Trades School Band has throughout its years, won many honors at the
state and the New England school band contests and later, high ratings
at the Competition Festivals.
The popularity of the band has constantly increased. For instance,
out of a school enrollment of 82, there are 50 in the band. Various
nationalities are included in the membership--at one time, one player
was an American Indian lad named “Rainbow Red Canoe,” a great grandson
of the famous chief “Sitting Bull.”
Most boys who have begun their music study with the band make it a
hobby in later life, and many choose it as their lifetime profession.
Composers, arrangers and music publishers have come from this Farm
and Trades School Band, while many other former players have become
valued members of symphony orchestras, opera and theater orchestras and
nationally-famous concert bands.