Seven Hills High School - Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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was founded. From Leonie C. Frank's book uMusical Life in Early Cincin- nati, we find that: uThe legitimate successor of these two societies was the brilliant, proud Gllarmonic Society of Cincinnatif under direction of Mr. Carl Barns. This fine organization had a humble beginning back in 1800, with a small choral school and later with a chorus of two hundred and fifty members. The credit for this progress, writes Miss Frank, must not go entirely to the Cincinnatians, but to the Germans. HQuietly but impressively they had been exerting an immense influence over the musical character of the city. From early days they had fostered music in the home, church and societies. It was part of their lifef, At last a professional orchestra was hired, putting an end to all amateur ones. The first one lasted but a short time and was fol- lowed in 1872 by the MCincinnati Orchestraf, one having forty instruments. The beginnings of the May Festivals were in 1864. Music Hall was espe- cially built for these Festivals. They originated from several societies com- bining as one. The first May Festival was successfully performed in 1873 with Theodore Thomas as conductor. Mr. Thomas did a great deal to make the Festivals successful. 1-le will long be remembered for his distinguished work. Through the Festivals Cincinnati gained great distinction and fame. Later two other fine institutions were developed: The College of Music and the Conservatory of Music. Little did the early founders know that these musical institutions would still be playing in 1939 an important part in the musical knowledge of Cincinnati. Since the time of the small band at the fort, Cincinnati has constantly progressed in musical culture. This back- ground was developed by outstanding personalities who gave all their talent and enthusiasm to this task. Those men and women made Cincinnati what it is today, a leading city in the musical activities of the United States. MARTHA ANN GOODYEAR, 1941 Four Le'Hers My, what a bleak, raw day! I leaned back in the arm chair and thought, if I could only be in Florida with a hot sun beating down, how glorious it would feel. Florida? Oh yes, Father wanted me to get those Florida let- ters out and look through them. I arose from my chair and got out an old box of family letters. Most of the letters were over a hundred years old. They varied from love letters to business letters. There was one group that contained a correspondence between my great- Wt atm, 1939 l94l

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Music of Early Cincinnati Among the middle-western cities, Cincinnati has always been foremost in the field of music. The first music of Cincinnati was produced, in 1795, by a band of French and German players at Fort Washington. The Commander, General Wilkinson, hired this band to play there with the hope of bringing a little gayety into the dismal life at the fort. This same band played the marches for a July Fourth parade. At this time, a noted Scotchman, Thomas Kennedy, was entertaining the people with his violin. Mr. Kennedy, one of the earliest musicians in Losantiville, delighted all with his gay Scotch tunes. Later he moved across the river to a town which bore his name, Kennedy's Ferry. It is noxLthe city of Covington. In the year 1808 great strides were being made in the progress of our early music. The first organ was built by Reverend Adam Hurdus in the early nineteenth century. Already many residents had acquired pianos. Unfor- tunately there was at this time only one piano tuner, who combined his tun- ing with piano instruction. By 1815 Societies were organized. The first was the Harmonical Society, which furnished music during the intermission of performances in the thea- tres. This society also organized the first citizenas brass band. The follow- ing year the HSL Cecilian Society was founded. It was the first society of any real significance but few facts are known concerning it. We do know, however, from Greveis 46History of Cincinnatiu that it was 'cdevoted to the delightful strains of the piano and the improvement and practice of its fair votaries in the cwitching powers of song'.,' The Episcopal Singing Society now began to meet at Christ Church. Also the Haydn Society was formed of singers selected from different societies in the city. The pioneer period of early music in Cincinnati came to an end about 1820. Much music was used to celebrate Lafayette's visit to Cincinnati. Joseph Tossa was asked to conduct the orchestra while Lafayette remained here. Mr. Tossa, a Mexican, had recently returned from the Paris Conservatory. He was acclaimed by music-lovers everywhere and upheld high standards in his selections for the concerts. The Eclectic Academy of 1834 concentrated on bettering the tastes of the people and on securing more religious music. This academy had a twenty-four piece orchestra and an extremely able leader in the Swedish Victor Williams. During the Civil War, Mr. Williams did much for the extension of musical instruction in the public schools. He presented the first oratorio to Cincinnati in old Melodeon Hall. In 1864, after the Eclectic Academy and Haydn Society disappeared, a new society Wham, 193 9 i931

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great-grandmother and her husband. The letters were written before they were married. They wrote of their plans for the wedding and wedding jour- ney. I read these letters with some qualms of conscience, as I hardly thought my great-great-grandmother and grandfather would have liked their love let- ters to be read. The next letters in the box almost powdered in my hand. Even picking them up very gently, a corner here or there fell off. Next were some letters about business matters, and, as these did not interest me, I passed on. At the bottom of the box, I found four letters, written in the same handwrit- ing. The ink had turned brown and the paper was old ivory, but even so, these letters were unusually legible. The handwriting also impressed me as being very neat andglegilile, although the double s was made like an f, as was then the custom. They were, I discovered, from my great-great-uncle, William Hardia. Two of these letters were written to his sister, my great- grandmother, and two of them to his father, my great-great-grandfather. Great-great-uncle William had graduated from West Point and had imme- diately been sent to Florida to fight in the Seminole Indian War. Our four letters were written at the time he was in Florida. The first letter was dated the fourth of ,I une, 1838, and was addressed to his sister. He had been in Florida nine months when this was written, and he was very homesick for Kentucky. He wrote: HI am extremely anxious to get out of this country, but at present see no hope for itf' Then followed an account of some pets he had collected. The pets consisted of a fawn and three owls. Evidently at this time my great-grandmotlier was becoming in- terested in my great-grandfather, because William Hardia wrote: '6If you promise not to get married, I will send you the whole concernf' His next statement proves that men were very much then as they are now. He writes: HThe Florida girls are so hideously ugly that I cannot fall in love with them- knowing how susceptible I am, you can readily imagine how very ugly they must bef' The second letter was written to his Father, and, even if the salutation had been lost, I am sure I should have known anyway. This letter is in a much more serious vein. He wrote this soon after returning from an expedition up the St. ,Iohn,s River. The Indians had left this section and he believed that they had gone to the Okefenoka Swamps in Georgia. These swamps are almost impenetrable and even now are used as a hiding place for a great many animals. He had at this time been appointed Acting Assistant Ad- jutant General. Wigan., 193 9 I95l