|
Till
Family Rock Band
Also
known as a Harmonicon
Last updated: August 2004
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.
Two
of the original admission tickets (date and identity of concert unknown)
can be seen on the 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. |
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.
 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 5 years they decided to disband and three members
of the group returned to Lancashire in UK.
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 Johns
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.
If you have any information that you would
like to contribute towards my research, I can be contacted at: tillfamilyrockband@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.
|