Thomas Ryan in Boston - the 1800's
from Recollections of an old musician, page 19:
I must not omit one historic fact, namely, —theatres in Boston were not allowed to give dramatic or operatic performances on Saturdays (too near Sunday !), and that gave us musicians our freedom; hence the custom of devoting Saturdays to society concerts. I recall another fact: several churches did not have organs, so they called in the assistance of the “ devil’s instruments ”—fiddles and cornets—to help the singers.… more >>
I must not omit one historic fact, namely, —theatres in Boston were not allowed to give dramatic or operatic performances on Saturdays (too near Sunday !), and that gave us musicians our freedom; hence the custom of devoting Saturdays to society concerts. I recall another fact: several churches did not have organs, so they called in the assistance of the “ devil’s instruments ”—fiddles and cornets—to help the singers. I played the clarinet for two years in Father Streeter’s church on Hanover Street. … more >>
Thomas Ryan, Recollections of an old musician (New York City, 1899), p. 19. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1449565237768 accessed: 20 April, 2024
Listeners
Listening to
hide composers| Orchestral | performed by Thomas Ryan |
Experience Information
| Date/Time | the 1800's |
| Medium | live |
| Listening Environment | in the company of others, in public |