Till Family Rock Band
“Also known as a Harmonicon”
Last updated: January 2010
Introduction by Dr A. M. Till
I
am only an indirect distant relative of this Concert Group but my interest
was first stimulated some 20 years ago when an aunt passed on to me an
original Till Family Rock Band concert programme, dated 1885 (see right,
click to enlarge).
Excerpt from the programme:
18th February 1885 Perthshire Newspaper.(Strath-N03981)
TONIGHT CITY HALL PERTH
The greatest novelty of the age
THE ROCK BAND COY.(TILL FAMILY)
Will have the honour of appearing as above, under the distinguished patronage of the Right Honourable The Earl of Breadalbane, the Right Honourable the Earl of Kinnoull, Colonel Macdonald Macdonald of St Martins, and Andrew Coates,Esq., Pitculien House,&c.,&c,.
For particulars see window bills and circulars.
Doors open at 7.30; Commence at 8; Carriages at 9.45.
Tickets reserved and numbered,3s; First Seats, 2s; Second 1s; Third 6d.
at Messrs. Paterson,Sons,and Co; and at Hall Door.
Some
original admission tickets survive, though identity of performance arena
is not identified and prices varied according to venue. (Examples on right-click
to enlarge).
Since that time I have collected information from various sources in UK and USA. The family were one of three who lived in the Lake District and constructed stone notes from rock removed from a valley alongside the mountain known as “Blencathra”. The other family instruments known to exist were the Richardson (instrument in good condition exhibited in the Fitz Museum-Keswick) and the Abraham (in private hands and present whereabouts unknown). The dating would be from 1870 to1880 for construction. The instrument consists of a wooden trestle, some 11 or 12 feet long, supported two shelves of stones tuned to give 5 octaves - 65 notes insulated and mounted on straw ropes. Wooden hammers covered in leather were used as percussors. Individual stones measured from 30ins to 6ins long and up to 3" broad or more.
 |
| Family group with complete instrument. Click to enlarge. |
A BBC Radio 4 programme in 2009 compered by the international percussionist Evelyn Glennie featured the instruments in the Keswick and Coniston Museums and the Richardson stones have been played in public at a number of concerts mounted on a modern wooden sounding board.
The Rock Band toured Birmingham, Liverpool, Bath, Darlington,Preston, Llandudno and in Scotland Perth and Dundee. They even played in the Isle of Man but their crowning performances were at the reconstructed Crystal Palace site in Sydenham in 1881.
It
is recorded that they played 136 performances and recent research has
revealed a superb advertisement for their appearances in the main auditorium
at Crystal Palace. See image on right (click to enlarge).
Remains of the original instrument are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Sadly there are only 22 notes on a single trestle and not in good condition and therefore not on display.There are other small stone instruments made by the Till family:
1. Owned by a near relative - single octave.
2. Under care Lancaster Museum - single octave.
3. Instrument originally presented to John Ruskin who admired the sound
of the instrument - this small version is in the Ruskin Museum, Coniston.
Letter from John Ruskin, the great English art critic:
Brantwood, Coniston. Lancashire 9th September 1884.
Dear Mr Till,
I am extremely grateful for the specimens of Skiddaw Rock, and congratulate you most heartily on the wonderful instrument you have composed of such materials, no less than on the admirable skill of execution with which you have learned, aided by your Father, to exhibit its peculiar qualities. You may have given me, with a new insight into the nature of crystalline rock substance, also a musical pleasure.
Believe me always faithfully,
Yours John Ruskin
It is recorded, though at this stage not verified, that the Rock Band toured England (London, Birmingham, Liverpool) and Scotland (Glasgow and Perth) and it is reported that they played 136 concerts at the Crystal Palace (see testimonial on enlarged programme above).
Various reports in UK and USA lead one to believe that the family were of a Non-Conformist background and supported their local churches with fund raising etc. Indeed they performed for several years to great acclaim at the Chautauqua Institution, a Methodist Foundation in 1894 originally but now open to all Faiths to increase knowledge of religion but also education and arts. It so happens that one of the Honorary Presidents of the Rock Band years there was Thomas Edison of phonographic fame.
Photographic
material available gives insight into the dress of the performers and
the main “Harmonicon” and additional instruments mentioned in
the programmes. Cello and violins, Swinging Harp and Musical Glasses are
seen in the images on the right. We have detail of the nature of Zither
and Gigilera also mentioned.Accuracy over dates is difficult but by 1895
the Till family decided to tour America and in the end stayed for 5 years
as a performing group. They settled in Bayonne, New Jersey - Manager William
Till's address is listed as 715 Ave. C (telephone 51A Bayonne!). They
toured the USA and Canada (Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick) and it
is recorded that in total they performed 8,000 concerts and never failed
to fulfil a booking! After five years the group decided to disband with
three members returning to the Lake District in UK. However William remained
and continued to perform ably assisted by his two daughters Esther and
Mildred.
1999 saw the publication of “Images of America - Bayonne” in which there are descriptions and references to the Till Family Rock Band and as a result of this publication references to Till family activity have been extracted from the Bayonne Herald.
Contemporary advertising
postcard.
Click to enlarge.Two
further programmes exist neither are dated or give a venue and may have
been produced for use at several concerts on a tour. There are also two
examples of “Window Bills” advertising their concerts. A later
hand bill describes:
Mr William Till (of the Till Family Concert
Co.)
Organist and Choirmaster St John’s
P.E. Church, can now take pupils on the piano, organ, violin and zither
No. 42 West 37th Street, Bayonne City.
He was apparently organist at this church for 27 years.
I am indebted to the continuing support and research into the Lakeland Rock Band's history and in particular to Andy Aliffe who has researched much documentation to compile a most interesting and detailed archive on the subject.
If you have any information that you would like to contribute towards my research, I can be contacted at: mike@michaeltill.com
Any new information would be very gratefully received!
Acknowledgements:
Professor Kathleen Middleton Author of Images of America – Bayonne.
Bayonne Public Library, New Jersey, USA.
Metropolitan Museum of Art-New York Curator of Musical Instruments.
The Galpin Society.
Tony Bingham ( London) Specialist in Old Rare and Unusual Musical Instruments.
Ruskin Museum, Coniston, Cumbria UK
Martha Carson-Project Manager-The History Channel (UK)
Beamish Open Air Museum-Durham. UK.
Fitz Park Museum, Keswick Cumbria UK.
Wilfred L Thornthwaite, Rugby, Tennessee, USA.
Links:
SearchMusicNetwork.com
(The Till Family Rock Band can be found under 19th Century American music
in the History section).