The Newmont Military Band

You will notice there are no french horns, no flutes, and the D-flat piccolo looks a little different than the C piccolo found in modern bands. You will see a small trombone, which is more difficult to play than a modern instrument because there is no threaded locking nut to keep the two halves together.

Our music was borrowed from the archives of the American Band of Claremont, New Hampshire. As it is authentic late 19th century music, it is scored differently than for modern bands—it includes scores for clarinet, but not the saxophone that we see today.

A cursory examination of our uniforms quickly reveals that not all are identical. However, our reproduced photos of the Windsor Military Band circa 1900, show that this was the norm for a town band. The uniform worn by that band most closely resembles the U.S. Army’s 1872 officer’s undress military tunic. The hat is similar to the M-1895 officer’s undress hat. The uniforms we are wearing today closely match those worn by the Windsor Band. And... prices have gone up! In 1902, a dozen hats cost $7.00!!!

It is a common misconception that there were no women in these 19th-century town bands. Historically, women did participate, although it was thought by most that it was not “seemly” for a woman to place herself on display that way. Thus it may not seem authentic to have women musicians in a representation of a 19th century band, but there are precedents. In fact, the village of Lockhaven, N.H. (part of Enfield), boasted of the “Lockhaven Ladies’ Cornet Band.”

Our program is representative of the music played on the town green in the late 19th century. There are songs of “the war,” songs of love, marches (including Sousa’s!), dances, and songs from the old plantations. Our musical selections are chosen from American Band and Windsor Military Band programs documented in the Claremont Advocate and the Vermont Journal between the years of 1890 and 1905. It’s sometimes hard to imagine that “local” musicians had the skills necessary to play some of these very difficult and heavily interwoven scores from the composers of their time.

The Newmont Military Band first performed at the Rachel S. Harlow United Methodist Church Centennial Celebration, in Windsor, in 1995. They have also performed at the Shelburne Museum, in Shelburne, Vermont, Windsor (Vt.) Heritage Days, the Franklin Pierce Homestead in Hillsboro, N.H., and for other “period” celebrations in Vermont and New Hampshire.

The members of the band come from Vermont and New Hampshire. They are your neighbors and friends, and are from all walks of life. Not only are they sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers, most are (or have been) professionals in today’s workforce, as were the members of the old bands... they were farmers, bakers, blacksmiths, and factory workers. They shared the same love and avocation that the musicians in the Newmont Military Band do... a love of this kind of music and of the mellow sound these horns produce. These people do what they love to do, in the company of those who feel the same, and come away from each event with a great feeling of accomplishment. They also have a lot of fun!