This
week and next we’ll be taking a look at some of the musical
entertainment offered in Willimantic. The first real orchestra in
Willimantic was probably the Loomer Opera House Orchestra and, Allen B.
Lincoln said, “In those twenty years (1880-1900) Willimantic was
considered a fine show town”. There
were concerts and balls lasting until daybreak. Then, in 1900 Clinton C.
Helmold came to town. He was a musician of note and his fame preceded
him. The Opera House Orchestra disbanded and Helmold was prevailed upon
to form a new orchestra. By late 1900 the new “Helmold’s Orchestra” had
taken over playing at the Opera House and performed there until 1917.
During the same time, “Tucker’s Orchestra” was furnishing entertainment.
It was led by Charles Tucker of North Windham, a violin player of
considerable note. This orchestra, said Lincoln, ”played for all kinds
of engagements, oratorios, concerts, festivals, receptions and the like
and for a time furnished music for the opera house”. Another orchestra
had been put together by George W. Hickey and later was taken over by
Robert E. Pickett, a pupil of C. C. Helmold. This nine-piece orchestra
was quite successful and played not just in Willimantic but all over
Eastern Connecticut. After Pickett’s death, the name was changed to the
Peerless Orchestra. In those days, a prominent figure in Willimantic’s
musical world was George Wheeler. He was noted not just for being
connected in some way to almost all Willimantic orchestras but also, he
was “looked upon as one of the best prompters at dances. He had the
honor of ‘calling the changes’ at twenty-four of the forty annual
Thanksgiving-eve balls or dances of the Willimantic Fire Department’s
Montgomery Hose Company.” Wheeler was probably best known, however, as
the leader of “Wheeler’s American Band”, a staple of every Willimantic
parade for many years. It was said of Wheeler that “almost every
musician in town started with Charlie Wheeler”. An easygoing man, he
would spend hours patiently teaching any young people who wanted to be
musicians. Local legend says he had been asked to join the famous Sousa
Band. Unable to decide, he flipped a coin and “Willimantic won”. Wheeler
died in 1936. Undoubtedly, then, Willimantic had a great reserve of
musical talent. Besides the bands mentioned above, there was
“The Majestic”, “Mattie and the Lads and “Hal
White and his Aristocrats”. And we shouldn’t overlook other groups such
as the BPOE (Elks) Band, the Trade School Band, and the Knights of
Columbus Boys’ Band. Eighty years ago, Jimmie Day, a member of several
orchestras, compiled a scrapbook mainly of his time with the “Mattie and
the Lads Orchestra” but he provides information on several other musical
groups. Moreover, his scrapbook provides an interesting and fascinating
look at the ‘30s and early ‘40s local music world and the changes that
were coming about in society. In 1931, the Majestic Orchestra and the
twelve-piece Peerless Orchestra were the Willimantic area’s most
well-known orchestras. Some members of the Majestic were George W.
Hickey, pianist; Ralph Wolmer, violinist; William Buckingham, cornetist.
The Peerless Orchestra consisted of C. C. Helmold, violinist; Edwin
Fitch, violin and clarinet; Prosper
Vegiard, cornetist; J. D.
Conant, flute; Archille Gaudreau, trombone; William Taylor, drum; Harry
Royce, pianist and several others. The Peerless had already been around
for twenty-five years, several under the leadership of Prosper
Vegiard. Times were changing, however, and becoming tough for
local musicians. Peoples’ music tastes were changing and ballroom
dancing was losing popularity. The Peerless Orchestra fell on hard times
as it tried to adapt to changes but the once favorite local musical
group began to be referred to as “the lousy Peerless”. Declining pay for
band members, poor leadership and growing laxity on the part of some
members spelled the end of the Peerless. But some of the band members
felt that with a few changes, they could make a go of it. At that point
band member Gaylord “Mattie” Mattison from Columbia stepped into the
leadership role, reorganized the band and a new experiment was begun in
Willimantic.
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