Sunday Bandstand 1 September 2019

Sunday Bandstand 1 September 2019

Clay Smith was born in 1878 in Greencastle, Indiana. His first documented musical activity involved playing E-flat cornet solos for exhibits at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. At some point he became proficient on the saxophone and trombone, which seems to have been his primary instrument for most of his career. His teachers included Alfred F. Weldon, Gardell Simons, and Hale A. Vander Cook. He performed with several famous bands, such as the bands of Hi Henry’s Minstrels, Wallace Brothers Circus, the Barnum and Bailey Circus, and the Ringling Brothers Circus. He was also featured trombone soloist at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair with Phinney’s Band.

With Guy E. Holmes, Smith formed the Apollo Concert Company, which toured on a vaudeville circuit. About 1914, he organized the Smith, Spring, and Holmes Concert Company, which made several recordings and toured Chautauqua and Lyceum circuits. Smith and Holmes collaborated on many compositions and arrangements for various instruments.

Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, showmen, preachers, and specialists of the day.[1] Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying that Chautauqua is "the most American thing in America.

From all accounts, Smith was an accomplished and virtuoso trombone soloist. Many of his works reflect a need for technical and lyrical proficiency. Unlike Arthur Pryor, Leo Zimmerman, and other contemporaries who “headlined” as soloists with the major touring concert bands of the day, Smith spent most of his career on the Chautauqua and theatre circuits. It would appear that Chicago served as his home for at least the latter part of his life. He died there in 1930.

On this week's show we are featuring his duet for cornet and trombone The Cascades which was published c1904. A rarely performed duet these days.

 

Enjoy the show....

Playlist 1 September 2019 

Recording Details 

Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Opening for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - George Frederick Handel Brass Band Froschl Hall (Austria) MD: Hannes Buchegger - 2012  'Baroque Music, Funeral Music , Choralers and Songs' - CD - RCR Label - 2012
Fantasy - Joop van Dijk Brass Band Froschl Hall (Austria) MD: Hannes Buchegger - 1998  'Highlights from the European Brass Band Championships 1998' - CD - 
Cossack Fire Dance from Call Of The Cossacks - Peter Graham  Young Brass Band Willebroek (Belgium) MD: Frans Violet - 2016   'Highlights from the European Brass Band Championships 2016' - CD - Doyen DOY CD362
A Bandsman's Overture - Philip Sparke Black Dyke Band MD: Dr. Nicholas Childs - 2013  'Black Dyke Gold Vol.2' Doyen Recording DOY CD307 - 2013
The Cascades - Clay Smith  Soloists Gerard Schwarz (Cornet) Ronald Barron (Trombone) accompanied by pianist Kenneth Cooper    'Cornet Favourites'  - CD - 
Eleanor Rigby - Lennon  and McCartney  arr: Alan Fernie The Co-operative Crewe Band MD: Jef Sparkes - 2009  'Valero' - CD - The Co-operative Band Crewe own label - 2009
Concerto for Euphonium ‘Zeibekikos Dance’- Philip Wilby Euphonium Soloist (New Zealand) Byron (Buzz) Newton with the Tredegar Town Band MD: Ian Porthouse - 2011  'Tredegar in Concert Vol 1' - CD - Avanti Recordings: TIC001 - 2011
Jubilee - Rodney Newton Williams Fairey Band  MD: James Gourlay - 1997  'Williams Fairey Band Diamond Jubilee [Disc 2] - DOY052 - 1997
American Dances 1.(n/a)  2.Tempo Di Blues  3.Jazz - Bertrand Moren Brass Band 13 Etoiles (Switzerland) MD: Geo-Pierre Moren - 2003  'Dreams - Music for Brass Band by Bertrand Moren' - CD - Mitropa Music M-Disc 203.014-3 - 2003
Midwest - J.J.Richards Black Dyke Mills Band MD: Major Peter Parkes - 1987  'Black Dyke Mills Band 150 years' - CD - Chandos CHAN4516 -  1987
My Father's World - Kenneth Downie Yorkshire Building Society Band MD: David King - 1999  'Vitae Lux' - CD - Polyphonic Reproductions QPRL 096D - 1999
The Lost World - John Williams arr: Klaas van der Woude  Brass Band De Bazuin Oenkerk (Netherlands) MD: Klaas van der Woude - 1998  'Solitaire' - CD -  De Haske Recordings  dhr 03.029-3 - 1998
Pageantry - Herbert Howells  Yorkshire Building Society Band MD: David King - 1997  'Highlights from the European Brass Band Championships 1997' - Double CD - Doyen Recording DOY CD062 - 1997
Music - John Myles arr: Philip Sparke Longridge Band GMD: Michael Fowles - 2002  'Homeward' CD - Amadeus Recording AMSC CD049 - 2002 
The Turtle Dove - Etienne Crausaz Soli Brass (The Netherlands) MD: Frans-Aert Burghgraef - 2011  'Intrada'  - CD - De Haske Recording DHR 03-056-3 - 2011
Sinfonietta for Brass Band  - In Three Movements  1)  Allegro Ma Non Troppo 2) Andante 3) Allegro Vivo - Gordon Langford Black Dyke Mills Band MD: Roy Newsome - 1976  'Black Dyke Plays Langford' - Vinyl - RCA Victor ‎– LSA 3270 - 1976
Rule Britannia - John Hartmann arr: John R. Carr Cornet Soloist James Shepherd with the Ireland Alloys Band MD: P.V.Lewis - 1978
 'James Shepherd And The Ireland Alloys Band ‎– Rule Britannia' - Vinyl - Symbol Records (4) ‎– LL 735 - 1978
The Grand Old Duke - arr: Alan Fernie  Brighouse and Rastrick Band MD: Gavin Lindsay - 2007  'Our Town' - CD - Obrasso Recording CD921 - 2007
Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Closing for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010

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