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Below you will find 17 typical pages taken from the book, "Mr. 0".
1-2 Table of contents of "Mr. D.II
3 Delamont tried to influence young people morally and musically. p. ii
4 Delamont, age 22, almost drowns when returning to England on board the Empress of Ireland which sinks off Rimouski (Quebec) one foggy night in 1914. 1078 people are drowned. p.4
5 Seven Delamont bands at a concert, Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, 1935.
6 Photo of The Vancouver Girls Band, another Delamont creation. 1930. p. 12
7 The Victoria Juveniles Band beats the Kits Band, 1930. p. 13
8 Kits Band at the Chicago World's Fair, 1933. p. 24
9 Nostalgic description of an evening concert given by the Kits Band in Moose Jaw on their return home from Chicago after winning the world championship for junior bands. 1933. pp. 25-26
10 A sample of the challenging music played by the Kits Band ("Stars in a Velvety Skyll, a cornet solo). p. 70
11 The Kits Band wins at the 1936 British National Brass Band Competition. p. 76
12 Photo of the Kits Band in front of the Victoria Monument, London, 1936. p. 77
13 Origin of the B.C. Secondary Instrumental Teachers' Asso.; some famous Kits band alumni. p. 190
14 Ted Lazenby, lead trombonist in the Kits Band, tracks down Don Lusher, English trombone maestro, in his London home. 1958, p. 211 (Lazenby plays solo in no. 7 on enclosed CD: "Scenes that are Brightest".)
15 Gordon Delamont comments on the British brass band tradition. Photo of the Kits band at Montreal's Expo '67. 1967. p.251
16 Gordon Delamont (Arthur's son) visited by Duke Ellington. p. 252
17 List of the pieces contained in the CD which comes with the "Mr. D.n book. p.348 .
CONTENTS
Foreword ..................................................................................... i
Preface ........................................................................... . iv
1. Salvation Army Beginnings ................................................... 1
2. 1931 Champions at the Toronto Exposition .......................... 12
3. 1933 Chalnpions at the Chicago World's Fair ........................ 22
4. 1934 Champions West of England Band Festival. ................ 38
5. 1936 Champions Crystal Palace Band Festival. .................... 66
6. 1937 Guests in San Francisco - Golden Gate Bridge .............. 88
7.1939 Guests at New York World's Fair & onto England ...... 96
8. 1940s Supporting The War Effort at Home ........................ 118
9.1950 Chalnpions at the Oosterbeek Band Festival. ............. 136
10. 1953 Top Billing Moss/Empire Vaudeville Circuit. ........... 158
11. 1955 Park Concerts, Jersey Island, and a UK Tour ............. 178
12.1958 Champions at Kerkrade & Brussels World's Fair ................ 196
13.1962 Champions again at Kerkrade Band Festival. ....................... 220
14. 1966 Champions again at Kerkrade Band Festival. ....................... 236
15. 1967 Train trip to Montreal for Expo 67 ..................................... 248
16. 1968 A Tour of the Capitals of Europe .......................................... 254
17. 1970 Another tour of the Capitals ofEurope .................................. 266
18. 1972 A Visit To Sweden and Norway ........................................... 274
19. 1974 Their last Tour of the UK including Russia and Estonia ....... 284
20. 1976 Several Reunion Concerts .................................................... 296
21. 1981 Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night. ............................. 302
22. 1998 The Old Boys' Reunion Concerts .......................................... 310
Books by Warfleet Press ....................................................................... 338
Acknowledgements ............................................................................. 343
Index .................................................................................................... 3 51
® @ The Band Always Featured Soloists ..8~~-6 A AIAA'GJ.. ~ ",..t11~
°V".u'ti~S
ABOVE:
Michael Hadley was on
the 1950 and the 1953
Kits Band tours to
England and Holland.
BELa W' Ray Smith, who
was in the band in the
40s. Ray was an excep-
tional trumpet playa
He became the CEO of
MacMillan Bloedel in
Vancouver.
could burst suddenly into a radiant, beatific smile of approval. His character
evinced an energetic counterpoint: good humour, caustic wit, cutting criti
cism, understated praise, and artistic vision, He was a demanding mentor.
Yet beneath all the artist's antics lay concern not only for excellent mu
sicianship, but for fostering the journey into manhood of 'his' boys. For him,
this journey was as much moral as musical. It was not unusual, for example,
for him to cut off a passage in mid-flight during rehearsal in order to debver
a 'sound bite' homily on questions of trust, loyalty, honor, probity, respon
sibility, social service and-unlikely as it seemed to those who had suf
fered his wrath-compassion. At such times, his origins as a Salvation Army
bandsmen were poignantly eloquent. If, as some claim, Mr. D had copied (or
at least paralleled) the 'American' concert band style of Jolm Philip Sousa,
it was the Salvation Army bands of the UK that shaped the tonal quality of
Canada's Kitsilano Boys' Band. To achieve such a rich sound was a huge
challenge. It was conditioned as much by instrumentation as style. North
American bands, to choose but one example, preferred the trumpet, whereas
British bands held to the C0111et. Thus what might pass for the 'Sousa style'
of clarion brassiness contrasted with the mellifluousness of the British style.
Mr. D drilled his boys in the art of hymnic playing. He did so by insisting
on their practicing long, sustained tones, and by rehearsing the ensemble
with hymns and anthems that required sostenuto performance. Indeed, each
instrumental section saw to it that its collective 'voice' never broke a phrase,
not even for a breath. He insisted on his young musicians listening intently
to each 'voice' in the ensemble. But while maintaining a full range of tonal
colour, he also insisted on brilliant attack, accurate tempo-and dynamics,
dynamics, dynamics. It was arguably this blend of 'Sousa' and the British
band that characterized the Vancouver Kitsilano Boys' Band.
The band always featured soloists of exceptional achievement. One re
calls the soaring and vivacious uiple-tongued trumpet trios and the sterling
performances of trombone or euphonium. Jazz numbers featured instru
ments typical of the genre: tenor saxophone, u'ombone, clarinet and drums.
Classical works from Bach to Grieg and Holst spotlighted brass and wood-
- Black Friday
4BOVE: Captain Kendall
BELOW' The Moose Jaw
)alvation Army Band after
-!he sinking of the RMS
Empress of Ireland. Their
two comrades who died on
the Empress can be seen
ell the top of the photo on
Qither side.
swift and deadly. Within fourteen minutes the Empress had disappeared be
neath the St. Lawrence. The shrieks and cries of the survivors in the frigid
waters pierced the evening quiet like knives. The crew had managed to get
several lifeboats off the sinking ship and into the water before she went down
and they were busy picking up survivors. The Delamont family, who had
been asleep (like most of the passengers on board), tried to make their way
up the nan-ow staircase from third class to the decks above. By the time they
reached the last staircase, the ship was almost vertical. Leonard managed to
help his mother up on deck along with Lizzie and John. Once on deck he took
off his life jacket and put it on his mother, kissing her goodbye. Then they
were all washed overboard. Arthur, who had been trapped below, managed
to crawl out a porthole and run along the side of the ship until he reached the
bow, where he too was washed overboard. Arthur was picked up by a lifeboat
that also contained his father and mother and sister. When he asked his father
if he had seen Leonard his father replied, not wanting to alarm his mother, "I
think he was picked up by one of the other lifeboats." The survivors standing
on the shore watched the last lifeboat as it reached safety and when there was
no sign of Leonard, Arthur's mother could contain her sorrow no longer and
screamed, "Leonard, my poor Leonard."
Black Friday The day went down in Salvation Army history as Black
Friday, for out of 1,475 people on board the Empress only 397 survived. Out
of the 3 7 members of the Territorial Staff Band only 9 survived. Commis
sioner Rees, Colonel Maidment, Adjutant Hanagan and all their wives per
ished. The eulogy read: "They were the fairest and best of the movement in
Canada and the loss to the executive and ranks of Blood and Fire
CHAPTER TWO
CHAMPIONS AT THE TORONTO EXHIBITION
® lk 1/,~I-6Jlc4, ,J'tA.v'Gn;4 ~61 ~Ji, 7k-
I</~ IS~«,. '130
Band History: 1930 Victoria Music Festival * Canadian National Exhibition * Their first trans
continental trip * Toronto * James Oliver of the St. Hilda's Band * Young Canada Day * Canada's
Junior Band * Vancouver * Background: 1930s A remarkable period in Canada * 1928 Youth bands
in Vancouver * A rthur intended to make his living from his bands * The Kitsilano High School Band
* A Committee * Anecdotes: Roy Johnston and Spencer's Department Store * Arthur playing at the
Stanley Theatre
Spring of 1930 The Pacific Northwest Music Festival was in full swing
and the boys travelled overnight on the Princess Alice steamship which de
parted from Pier D on the waterfront in downtown Vancouver for its sailing
to Victoria. Arthur decided to enter his boys. When word got around Kitsi
lano that he was starting a 'travellin' band,' even more boys flocked to his
doorstep. They stayed at the Empress Hotel. It is doubtful that Arthur would
have been able or willing to pay for such lavish accommodations. It is more
likely that they acquired the lavish accommodations through the able work
of Garfield White, who became the band's pUblicity manager about this time.
Garfield worked for the CPR as assistant to the head ticket agent for Canada.
His efforts and diligence would prove indispensible to Arthur when coordi
nating and promoting the band's trips in the years to come. The CPR was
making money. It always made money. During the Depression, it was a vital
part of the community. The trains were the way to travel. It was a world of
trains, hotels and ships. The boys did not win first place in Victoria in 1930.
Only two points separated the top two bands, (89 for the Juveniles and 87
for the boys from Kitsilano) but it was still not good enough for Arthur. He
knew ifhis boys' band was going to be successful he would have to set goals
that would challenge his boys, keep them busy and be fun at the same time.
Competition would be a prime motivator both inside the band and out.
Fall 1930 A letter arrived for Arthur from the Canadian National Exhi
bition in Toronto saying they did have a class for junior bands, but that they
were surprised to hear that there was a band of such high caliber on the west
coast that would be interested in competing in their festival. It continued,
"If you want to come the test piece is Haute Monde." Arthur was so upset
by the tone of the letter that he immediately rushed down to Ward Music on
Hastings Street and put in an order for Haute Monde.
Before Arthur and his boys left for Toronto, there was some unfinished
OPPOSITE: 1930
Arthur started the
Vancouver Girls ' Band in
J 930 which lasted until
1936.
BELOW' The National
Juvenile Band in May
1928, eVA 99-1867,
Vancouver Archives,
Stuart Thompson.
1'3
f ·1..c.f (!) . Century Of Progress Exposition ItJIIt t.« c It ~ ~ ,e,,,, S H\,
ABOVE: Boys infront of
the the G.M Building at
the 1933 Chicago Worlds
Fair
BELOW Boys playing
at the General Motors
Building at the Fair.
booked all the big bands into the hotels. They thought they would do really well, with the World's Fair on, but the problem was that people were
tired after being at the Fair all day. The boys would slip the Maitre d' a
five dollar bill and he would let them sit in the comer with a coffee and
listen !o the band. They were seldom turned away. Two of the boys who
did this a lot were Jack Bensted and Dal Richards.
Some of the big name bands playing in Chicago were Clyde McCoy .......
Sugar Blues, Art Kassel and his "Kassels-in-the-Air," Johnny Ramp, Cab
Calloway and Coon-Sanders. Coon was the drummer and Joe Sanders
was the piano player. Ben Birnie was playing at the Paps Blue Ribbon Ca
sino but the boys couldn't go there. Sally Rand and a young tap-dancing
father and son act (the son being Sammy Davis Jr.) were there too.
They are now World Champions! When the big dayar
rived, seven contending bands strove to wrest supremacy from the Kitsi
lano boys, but when the final scores were announced, the boys showed
their superiority over the other bands by amassing a total of22S points out
of a possible 240, beating their nearest rivals, the Chicago Boys' Band, by
24 points. They had won world honors in the D class juvenile brass band
section. Newspapers back home read: "Rail to the Champion Boys' Band
of the world! They are now World Champions!" The news of their victorious achievement must have been received by the people of Kitsilano, Vancouver and in fact the whole Dominion with both pleasure and pride.
It was another win for Vancouver and this great and glorious colony of
Great Britain! (Andy Gleeson, Kitsilano Times)
And so Arthur marched his boys through the provincial, national and
world band championships, in a highly contested field, winning each by
substantial margins. Nothing challenging happens by chance, and Arthur
certainly knew what he was doing, and how to do it!
;) Building. They also found the time to take a special bus tour of the city and
to see the Chicago White Sox play the Philadelphia Athletics at Comiskey Baseball Park. ef)c....
Having conquered Chicago, the boys began preparing for a series of one
night engagements on their return trip to Vancouver: Winnipeg on Monday
at Eaton's Grill Room, Moose Jaw on Tuesday, Swift Current on Wednes
day, Calgary on Thursday, Banff on Friday, Revelstoke on Saturday and
Kamloops on Sunday. $e. ~DW: a-. 4F til.. 'fit.. ~"'nfe"".,1:r .,. ~ 4 "t..I'~ ~~ '" ~~ 6., 't'I.. M.JL ·
"The nearest approach to a Sousa Band ever heard." This quote was often made when people referred to Arthur's
band and it was used in the band's programs and advertisements. Some say
Arthur did see the Sousa band in person during the 1920s and the similari
ties between the two bands were striking. On the way back from Chicago
the band stopped in Moose Jaw to playa park concert on the banks of the
Serpentine River. A gentleman remembered only as RDL who was present
at that concert and who had also seen the Sousa band in London in 1901,
wrote a letter afterwards to the Moose Jaw Spotlight newspaper: "The
Kitsilano Boys' Band is to give a concert in the Crescent Park tonight.
They have always been favorites in Moose Jaw, but the prestige that they bring with them as winners of the Chicago World's Fair contest will ensure the attendance of a huge crowd to welcome them and to enjoy the concert.
It is still fully half an hour before the time for starting as I circle the
bandstand in a vain search for a vacant seat. I find a patch of coarse grass on
the edge of the ravine and sit down contentedly to wait. It has been a glori
ous August day. The sun has set and the peaceful twilight is deepening, but
there is still sufficient light to give a clear reflection of the opposite bank in
the still waters of the Serpentine. The tops of the trees by the Public Library,
in particular, are beautifully mirrored. Over them the outline of the stately
pile of St. Andrew's church shows sharply against the clear sky, the aspect
of the high tower being impressively symbolical.
I find my memory reflecting to another August evening, when, in some
what similar surroundings, I was awaiting the appearance of a famous band.
It was in the grounds of the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901 that I
first heard the much-heralded "Sousa's band."
ABOVE: The boys on
the steps of the Court of
Science building at the
Chicago World's Fair.
BELOW John Philip
Sousa's farewell
performance at the
Glasgow International
Exposition (1901)
played to an audience
of 152,709.
(V' 26 - The Nearest Approach To A Sousa Band
The river Kelvin flowed past the bandstand almost as peacefully as the stiller waters of the Moose Jaw
Serpentine. The famous Kelvin-grove immortalized in Scottish song was more spacious than the little
clump of artificially planted trees opposite me. On the heights above the wood, the noble anay of the uni
versity buildings would almost have dwarfed St. Andrew's Church. But there is a strong similarity in the
environment of tonight and that of a generation ago that impressed me as I rise to attention. The band is playing "0 Canada," for the boys have come and the concert is on.
The opening march may not be one of Sousa's but it is quite in the same style as those famous composi
tions of his, now known the entire world over. I have the feeling that it could not have been better played
by Sousa's own band. When Sousa came to Glasgow in 1901, he brought a band of very capable musi
cians with him. It was not their playing however, I am afraid, that remained in our memories so much as
the freak antics of their conductor. He wielded the baton in a most unorthodox manner, and was the joy
of the amateur caricaturists for years afterwards. Some twenty years after the Glasgow visit I heard him
in Regina. It was not quite the same Sousa. The full black beard had given way to a grey moustache, and
all the freakishness had gone out of his conducting. He was still as alert, still as snappy as before, and was
assuredly a great band conductor.
But it is difficult to imagine him having any greater control over his men than Arthur Delamont, our
former fellow-townsman, has over his boys tonight. They synchronize to every beat of his baton, they
respond to every movement of his hand. The program is quite as varied as any of Sousa's ever was, a few
standard pieces, a collection of well loved operatic melodies, some of the popular airs of the day, a sweet
and solemn hymn tune in which some wonderful tone effects were produced, and a great collection of
Scottish gems as a fitting finish. As the whole tone of the band is heard in Should Auld Acquaintance be
Forgot, the environment of 1901 becomes more real than ever. How well I remember the crowd around
the bandstand: youth and beauty, laughter and lightheartedness. I look with a new attention at the crowd
around me tonight. It seems much the same as the fonner one. But I have changed! Let us see. I move
quietly through the crowd. Every now and then friendly salutations greet my ear. Eyes sparkle and pretty
lips are parted in winning smiles. Alas, they are not for me. My son is walking by my side. A generation
has gone - a new one has
risen."
While the boys
played their one-night
engagements back
across Canada, the
band executive, led by Mr. Barlow, was busily ~".::maina ~ wf':lr.ominp
/I A~b. 'J' ~;,t,. ~A4eetc(.~ ~fN~«:
Stars in a Velvety .Sky
,Solo Cornet HERBERt L. CLARKE
Copyright MCMXIX by Carl Fischer. Inc •• New York Copyright Renewed International Copyright Secured
Copyright © MCMLXV by Carl Fischer. ,Inc •. New York .' N4569 All rights reserved including public performance for profit.
@ ?k... 4wl ~ tA";C~'1... ~ )'h. ~:ft 0". 76 - Cassell's Challenge Silver Shield DQ~ C f;;"'; / tJNJit9. /q=
.sitf._", fii)Q. .. eI- ""'pe f' (0""-. l., ~J ..
ABO VE: Torchy Peden
was arguably Canada s best cyclist. Born in
Victoria B. C. in 1906, as
a youth "Torchy" got his
nickname because ofhis
flaming red hair. Torchy
was a natural athlete
and competed in hockey,
baseball and was a na-
tionally ranked swimmer.
As a young man of twenty
Peden concentrated on bi-
cycle road racing and was
a member of Canada s cycling team at the 1928
Amsterdam Olympics.
Peden afterwards won
several important races
in Europe as an amateur.
Tn nnrtirulnr hp wnn
They had won the competition against 34 of England's finest adult bands.
For their efforts they received the Cassell's Challenge Silver Shield. When it was announced on the score board that the boys had won, the crowd gave
out a royal cheer! One of the cyclists in the event who was from Vancouver
was given the honor of coming up and conducting the boys. His name was
Torchy Peden. '
"It is a magnificent band, brilliant in tone, technically first-rate, and sensi
tive in response. It is true that the performance soared no higher than Gems
of Tchaikovsky-but it would be churlish to stint praise for really fine work.
Alihur Delamont had been training his lads for six weeks especially for the
contest and finally selected the 24 he considered the best grouping."
(F Rogan, Parry Jones, adjudicators)
The newspapers back home were equally impressed:
"The Kitsilano Boys' band climaxed its triumphant tour of England when
it won the Cassell's Challenge Shield for junior bands at the Crystal Palace.
Competing against 34 other bands, each of them composed of adult musicians, the youthful Vancouver aggregation thus scored the outstanding suc
cess of its career."
It was revealed afterwards that the boys earned 96 out of 100 possible
points, which was said to be an almost unheard-of feat. London critics com
pared them with Sousa's band and the Guards' bands.
One of the boys, Jim.Findlay, who was nineteen, had just graduated with a
bachelor degree in economics from UBC. He was the band's publicity man
ager on the tour. The contest was limited to twenty-four players (hence the
name, "Junior") and not because of the age of the contestants. In many ofthe
competing bands ages ranged up to eighty. The very fine woodwind section
had to be dropped for the event. How did the band, which was not a brass band, take first place? Jim explained the reason they were victorious. "Mr.
Delamont's own view was that the other bands were accustomed to outdoor
playing and found it difficult to play pianissimo and double pianissimo. The contest took place indoors and our band was used to that. Moreover the test
piece by Tchaikovsky had only about sixteen measures in double forte and
our band scored on the pianissimo work. We were lucky!"
In the course of last night's program the Kitsilano band had ample op
portunity to demonstrate a fine, melodious, resonant pianissimo as well as
THE CRYSTAL PALACE - 77
September 27 through October 2 After their win at the Crys
tal Palace, the boys played two concerts a day in Eastbourne. On the last day they had tea with the Lord Mayor. Before leaving Southampton for home on the Empress of Britain on October 3rd, the boys performed for the
Mayor and Mayoress of Southampton and a large crowd in the civic centre
forecourt, after which they marched to the docks to board the liner. Major W.E. Gladstone Murray, newly appointed general manager of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, was greeted by the boys as he boarded the liner
for Canada. As he walked up the gangway the boys played a few airs on the dock. Turning to the boys he said, "As young ambassadors of good will, your work has been very valuable."
Adequately expressing the appreciation with which the British people received the performances of the talented members of the Kitsilano Boys'
Band and their gifted leader, Mr. A . W. Delamont, is the letter received by
BELOW The boys
posing infront of
Victoria s monument, the
mirror image to their
photo on the courthouse
steps in Vancouver,
hence symbolizing the
link between the mother
land and the colonies.
ABOVE: Bing Thom and
Arnie Chycoski at one of
the later band reunions.
BELOW· Poster advertis
ing the boys playing at the
Hippodrome in
Birmingham.
got to know one of the American girls on the Duchess of Bec[ford go
ing over to England. He had gotten a letter from her sister, when he
returned home saying, "Norma had drowned on the Athenial" (Don
Radelet 1935- '42, accountant eGA)
1954 The British Columbia Secondary Instrumental Teachers' Association (BCSITA) was orga
nized to improve teaching standards as well as give voice to the con
cerns of school instrumental teachers. The 1954 conference was orga
nized by Fred Turner and seven of British Columbia's school bands
perfonned at this event. The 1952 conference had been the catalyst
for fOTI11ing the BCSITA. This group would continue to lobby towards
getting full academic credit for band in the school system. (http ://www.
erikabbink.com/pdJlAbbink_ Erik-20ll-Saxophone _in_BC.pdj)
Wonderful Careers In Music After the 1955 trip to the
Old Country these boys all went on to wonderful careers in music. Ar
nie Chycoski went to Los Angeles and played in the Si Zentner Band.
He then went on to Las Vegas where he played in Louie Bellson's
band. They played in the 1960s. After a stint in Europe he returned
to Canada and stayed in Toronto where he played lead trumpet with
Rob McConnell's Boss Brass for 35 years. After the 1955 trip Donny
Clark returned to Vancouver and became first call for stage, record
ings, symphony and jazz work throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He
also earned a music degree and became a composer. Dennis Tupman
stayed in Vancouver and became a music educator and eventually the
Superintendent of Music for the Vancouver School District. Earl Hob
son taught school for many years and then became the Superintendent
of Music for the Burnaby School District. He now directs the Royal
City Concert Band. Arnie and Donny most recently played in the 80th
reunion of the Kitsilano Boys' band in July 2008, which Earl Hobson
conducted.
Kits band alumni could be found throughout the local and national
music scene. Earl Hobson's first music supervisor in Victoria when he
. was teaching was Harry Bigsby. Harry had been a clarinet player in
the Kits band in the 1930s. He helped Earl get out of high school early
to go on the 1955 trip. "HaITY was caned on whenever they needed a rbrinpt nbvprwhn nhnlPrlhk-p Rpnn" Gnnrln1~n" (Knyl J.lnh~nYl lQ')')
J~ ( ul_L .{J,(.o I/.-~ ... ;,.t (J.wl fIr (/. K. -t~I.-';'t-. -v~ I ® ) BRUSSELS WORLD'S FAIR TOUR - 211
Delamont's boys experienced fundamental changes in
their personal development through his musical discipline. Anyone who
lived in Vancouver during the days of Arthur and his band will tell you it
was quite something to be chosen to be a member of the Kitsilano Boys'
Band. Every parent wanted their boy to play in the band and travel across
the Dominion to England. In 1942, Jim Watt attended UBC and played in
the Varsity band under the leadership of Arthur Delamont. In the spring of
1943, Delamont was short three players in his Kitsilano Boys' Band, so
he invited Jim with two other ex-Kitsies in the Varsity band to join them
on their spring tour of Vancouver Island. This fulfilled a boyhood dream
for Jim. Since the age of] 0 he had always wanted to play in the Kitsilano
Boys' Band, and now, this desire of his heart was fulfilled at the age of 19.
Don Lusher Meets Ted Lazenby! One of the great
band stories concerns Ted Heath and Don Lusher. Don was the best
trombone player in England by far. He was worlds above anyone else,
heads and shoulders. Ted Lazenby, on the 1958 trip to England with the
Kits band, phoned up Don Lusher and said to him, "Sir, I am in England
with a boys ' band from Canada, and 1 wondered if there was any chance
of taking some lessons from you while I am here?" Don says, "I don't
talk to kids and I don 't give lessons to kids!" Well, Ted found out where
he lived. He went on the tube and the double-decker, out into the country.
He had to walk about four blocks. He got to this little brick house. He
had his horn with him. He had his trench coat on and knocks on the door.
This little pipe-smoking guy comes out, just a short little guy. "What do
you want?" Ted says, "I talked to you on the telephone." Ted has his foot
in the door by then and pushes his way inside and says, "I really don 't
think there is anyone else in England that can tell me how J.1. Johnson
can play this lick. You are the only man who can tell me how to play it! "
Ted kicked his case open, pulled out his trombone and played a few notes.
The guy says, "Where the hell did you come from? Come in, lad!" He had
never heard anything like him. Ted was magical. He was so good. He was
technically so fast. He played the clarinet polka on his trombone so fast
there was smoke coming off the slide. You would shake your head. He
was so technically fast. (Brian Bolam 1950, Supervis07~ Vancouver Fire
Department)
In all of Arthur's bands there existed a heirarchy not always based on
musical ability. In 1958 there was Ken Sotvedt, ('Big Daddy' the boys used
ABOVE: Don Lusher was
a British jazz trombonist.
He played lead trombone
in the Ted Heath Orches
tra until 1962 and late/:
after Ted Heath passed
away in 1969, he led the
new Ted Heath Bandfor
many years. He passed
away in 2006.
BELOW Ken Solved! in
1958. Ken went on the
1953 and the 1958 tours.
<?61d'-. /}ll._Afi 0A-"-~~) ~ EXPO 67, MONTREAL-251
~nt~TS ~ B~;f-til..h.I\UA J~ ~dftJ(f)I1.,. which required maybe three different sessions, and about six adjudica
tors. So the value to the musical student of competition depends, to a
large degree, .on how well they are organized and of course on the ef
ficiency of the judges. Further, I think that it is most important that all
contestants' t.eachers point out to their students that if they are in a win
ning band or orchestra or are a winning soloist this does not mean that
a career in music should or must naturally follow - and if they are in a
losing band or orchestra or are a losing soloist, this in no way means
that a career in music is not to be contemplated.
Because of my father's Kitsilano Boys' Band, J played in competi
tions all over the world and I never heard of a young person being psy
chologically damaged by losing a contest, although I'll agree that such
a thing could be a possibility. The whole idea of competitive festivals
began in Britain where in 1900 there were 35,000 brass bands - most
associated with industrial firms, mines, mills, etc. and they were part
of the public relations of the company with which they were associ
ated. A win by a company band was regarded as good advertising for
the company. By 1950, the number of brass bands in England declined
to 3500. Interestingly though, the stage band competitions (which may
possibly outnumber concert band competitions in North America pres
ently) also started in Britain in the 1930's, when they were known as
'dance band' competitions." (Gordon Delamont, Arranger, composel~
teacher)
ABOVE: Ron Collier con
ducting a jazz band of Kits
alumni at the Showboat in
2004. Bob Buckley on sax.
BELOW' The boys inJront
of the India pavilion at
Expo 67 in Montreal.
® 252 - Duke Ellington
ABOVE: Ellington in the
1970s.
BELO W Ron Collier,
Duke Ellington, Norm
Symonds and Gordon
Delamont
1967 Duke Ellington At Mr. Lou Applebaum's suggestion the
Canadian Association of Publishers, Authors and Composers (CAPAC)
decided to approach Duke Ellington to ask-him to come to Toronto and
record, as a soloist, some music written by Nonn Symonds, Ron Collier
and Gordon Delamont. He readily agreed to this. They decided to use
a medium size jazz orchestra under the direction of Ron Collier. Both
Ron and Norm added a large string section to the orchestra. On the day
of the rehearsal and recording, they felt it might be a good idea to talk to
Duke ahead of time, so that they could give him an idea of what was go
ing to be required of him. So Symonds, Collier and Delamont arranged
to visit Ellington in his downtown hotel room on the morning of the
day they were to make the recording. After years of adulation they were
somewhat excited by the prospect of meeting the legend himself. They
knocked on the door and, with the exception of a nylon stocking on his
head, he was as naked as a jay-bird. His first words were: "Come into the
valley ofthe giants." For the rest of the morning, despite appearances by
waiters, press people and others, he remained in the unadorned condition
that he was in when he had initially opened the door. He ordered break
fast sent in which, as I recall, consisted mainly of a steak and a pitcher
of hot water.
Eventually, it became time to go to the recording studio, although
they had not found an opportunity to discuss the music with him. He
donned some casual but striking clothing. The striking clothing was, of
CONTENTS OF CD
CD - 349 ..,.://
The first four selections were recorded in London at BBC studios in the summer of 1934 during the ands first tour of the old country.
1. Washington Post (1934 BBC recording)
2. Orpheus in the Underworld (1934 BBC recording), clarinet solo by Jack Allen. Peter Allen
(the son of Jack Allen) is a prolific film composer living in Vancouver.
3. King Cotton March, 2' - (from 1934 CD)
i4. Colonel Bogey, 2' 24 (from Bluebird CD) All the above were made into 78 rpm records on the Blue
!bird label and sold in Britain and the USA.
The next nine selections are from the 1958 Homecoming Concert (album) after the boys returned from
the 1958 Kerkrade Tour. Ted Lazenby is the soloist on Scenes That Are Brightest.
5. Trumpets Wild (1958 Homecoming Concert)
6. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho (1958 Homecoming Concert)
7. Scenes That Are Brightest (1958 Homecoming Concert)
8. Land of Hope & Glory (1958 Homecoming Concert)
9. Tone Poem Finlandia, 7' 25 (from 1958 Homecoming)
10. My Fair Lady, 5' 43 (from 58 album)
11. Abide With Me, 2' 13 (from 58 album)
12. Tulips From Amsterdam, l' 30 (from 58 album)
13. Semper Fidelis, (1958 Homecoming Concert)
The following four selections are from the 1970 Kits Band album recorded in Vancouver after the band
returned from its 1970 European tour. Whirligig is a wonderful trombone trio. A Hunting Scene was a
Delamont classic. The Magic Flute was one of his manuscripts. Deep Harmony was a hymn selection he
often played.
14. Whirligig (from the 1970 album)
15. A Hunting Scene (the 1970 Album)
16. Magic Flute, 7' 35 (from 1970 album)
17. Deep Harmony, 2' 41 (from 1970 album)
The last two selections are from the 50th Anniversary Concert recorded and put onto an album after
the January 1978 reunion concert. Overture of Overtures was a Delamont classic manuscript. Denton Park
MR. D. (THE KITSILANO BOYS BAND)
Arthur W. Delamont was a giant of the British Columbia band scene. His most famous band, the Kitsilano Boys Band, won the best band competition for North America (Chicago World's Fair, 1933) and England (1934).
Christopher Best, who went on tour with the Kits Band in 1970, has put together a fascinating study of Delamont and his bands. Best starts with the Delamonts' arrival in Swift Current in 1910 and ends with Delamont's death at the ripe age of 89. This book is full of personal recollections from many Delamont proteges (including bandleader Dal Richards and entrepreneur par excellence, Jimmy Patterson). It also explains the many far-reaching connections which devolve from Delamont (Duke Ellington, Leonard Bernstein, Gordon Delamont, etc.)
Illustrated throughout with hundreds of photos and memorabilia. 400 pages. Hardcover. Price: $50. plus any postage charges. This book should be available in April, 2014.
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THE POWER OF
DELAMONT
When Arthur Delamont came to Vancouver in the 1920s he had a vision one day: to establish a youth band good enough to win international competitions against the very best adult bands. This is exactly what his Kitsilano Boys' Band achieved. Chris Best uses hundreds of photos, candid interviews of former band members and a CD of vintage band excerpts to explain the Delamont phenomenon: his virtuoso trumpet playing, his showmanship, his leadership-- his uncanny ability to inspire hundreds of boys and girls to practice until they reached a remarkable level of musicianship. Delamont's students also learned lifelong lessons about honesty, modesty, teamwork, the courage to take on difficult tasks, and self-confidence. It is largely thanks to Delamont's example that the British Columbia Department of Education decided in 1961 to allocate generous funding for hundreds of band programs throughout the province. Dr. Robert Stuart Thomson, owner of
Godwin Books.
