The Garland City Gazette

Ashland was Noted Musical Center

          Taken from the April 20, 1925 edition of the Daily Press:

Editors note: While going through scrapbooks looking for information for the Community Christmas Program display, I came across this article to share with you:

The city of Ashland, Wisconsin, Garland City of the Inland Sea, has become the musical center of the northwest.

Ashland has the largest boys’ band in the world, consisting of 265 uniformed and playing members between the ages of 7 and 17.

Ashland has a symphony orchestra of 50 pieces.

Ashland has a mandolin, guitar and ukulele club of over 200 members, all ladies.

Ashland has a choral club, of about 60 voices, with a repertoire including Handel’s “Messiah,” Gaul’s “Holy city,” Hadley’s “The New Earth,” Maunder’s “Olivet to Calvary,” Cowen’s “Rose Maiden,” and many other numbers.

Ashland has the Wednesday Music Club, an organization which has but one aim, the advancement of music in the community. This club has brought to Ashland such eminent artists as Werrenrath, the baritone; Leginska, the temperamental pianist; Macbeth, the famous soprano; Dumesnil, the brilliant French pianist, and many other artists of worldwide reputation.

Ashland also has the junior section of the Wednesday Music Club which gives many concerts during the year among those of high school and college age.

The Studio music club is another organization of young people doing fine work along the same line.

Ashland has a fine drum corps, sponsored by the American Legion, where fife and drum, piccolo and trumpets vie with each other in making the welkin ring.

Ashland has four pipe organs and many splendid players of this instrument.

Ashland has many, many pianists of great merit.

The Northland College School of Music is also a noteworthy part of Ashland’s musical assets, an instution that has developed many fine vocalists as well as pianists.

Ashland has several very fine small orchestras and one of the best jazz orchestras in the state.

The Northwoods School of Music of Ashland is also developing many artists on brass and reed band instruments, as well as on the string instruments for orchestra work.

Ashland has many large church choirs. Each year one evening is devoted to choir singing, and each choir gives one or more numbers.

Ashland is noted for the congregational singing in its churches.

Ashland is a singing town

Ashland believes in music, so much so that it employs a full time municipal director to look after its music. This is in addition to music directors for the high school and the grade schools.

The Sacred Heart Convent of Ashland also has a very fine school of music, specializing in piano, violin and voice.

Ashland has many violinists capable of doing solo work, several cornetists and several clarinets and saxophonists, as well as many pianists and vocalists, but one and all are always ready to do group work, either in band, orchestra, or chorus. And this is the reason Ashland has become the music center of the northwest.