The story of Creemore’s first band

This story of Creemore’s first band was written by Joe Leonard and appeared in a Creemore Star article in 1946 in a run-up to the grand centennial celebration held that summer.
Joe Leonard was a son of Elias Leonard, the owner of the Sovereign Hotel. He was a colourful character but that is a story for another time. Joe Leonard’s son, Ted, appeared in Creemore one day looking for a local historian, more, I believe, to tell his story to than to get information.
I met Ted on several occasions. He told me stories of Leonard’s Hall above today’s Home Hardware, of the secret door where one could slip into the bar during prohibition and tales of the entertainment group formed by his relatives.
Now, about the band:
“Creemore band helped to carry the name of good old Creemore to a good many parts of the country.
“One afternoon Jack Mackay and I were over at the old railroad station. Jim Shand, who had the old foundry, and George Steed, the blacksmith, with Bob Steele, asked us to carry some of the band instruments to the Orange Hall. I had the honour of carrying the old B Bass with no mouthpiece, and did I try to blow it the whole way, but with no luck. Really it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I then went to my father and asked for $2.50 to join the band, to play the cymbals, as they had a player for every other instrument, but my dad turned me down. Then and there I decided I was going to be in that band. The band practiced all that winter under the instruction of Jack McClure from Alliston, who would come on the nine o’clock train and go back on the six the next morning.
“One midnight the following February, we were awakened by band music, and looking out our front door we saw the first Creemore Brass Band standing in the deep snow in front of the Matchett House, making their first public appearance. That music sank deeper into my soul than any I have heard since, because it was all our hometown boys, and boy, oh boy! was it good. Well, before we go on about the band, we must let you know how it originated.
“Mr. Ball, who came from Thornbury, and founded The Creemore Star, having Billy Greer as his typesetter and general man, was interested in seeing a band in the village. The bunch of boys named fell in line, and this was the very first band in Creemore: Jim Shand, George Steed, Dave Fitzpatrick, Pat O’Hare, Billy Findlay, Billy Adams, Billy Young (the town cop), Joe McNicol, Joe Hisey, Joe Manning, Jack Patterson, Jack Coupland, Jack Mathers, Jack Bolster, Jack McClure, bandmaster. I know where everyone of those boys are today, who are still living.
“After the band had been going for about a year, some of the boys asked me as a kid, if I would like to join the band and play the snare drum. Well, my breath just about stopped, and Jack Mathers said, ‘Go to it, kid, you’ll make good;’ and they gave me the key to the kitchen of Joe Hood’s house, where the band held practice. I went away around into the back and came out with the drum and sticks, and that was the thrill of my life and a proud moment. I went straight up to my bedroom and fastened the drum to my bedpost and beat the head off it for four or five hours a day, even at noon when I came home for lunch, until my dad chased me to the barn where the horses were. But I didn’t care. I got my work in good and plenty. Often I had to play the big drum on the street in a band concert, and when I think of it now, I did very well at 12 years of age, to be giving the band the tempo and holding till the last beat.
“Well, after the first year of the band some of the players were quitting as they were leaving town, and some did not make a success of it, so naturally others got a chance. The band kept getting better and the musically inclined boys got in and the band was rounding out to play real well. Bandmaster McClure got a position in Toronto with the Queen’s Own Band to play the euphonium and introduced Herb Chance from Alliston of the 36th Battalion Band. Shortly after that he moved to Creemore and bought out Joe Broley’s barbershop and with our bandmaster in town, the band went ahead very fast.
“Con Schneider, J. B. Spurr, the second editor and proprietor of The Star, and some other good players came to town and when we stepped on the street the people heard something that no other small town was producing. The hometown would pack up and follow the band to any other town we were going to play in. We played all nearby towns and garden parties, and were the attraction at Collingwood Fair for years.
“My dad bought a cornet for $5 from Dave Fitzpatrick, who returned from Detroit, and several boys tried to play it but their noses would bleed as it was terribly hard to blow. I was still on the snare drum, and one day I got a chance to ditch it off for a slide trombone, and did I have a time with this instrument as no one knew the first thing about it. But I overcame the task and soon was able to play solo cornet parts on it and it was a big filling in part in the band, and novelty to everyone, as at that time very few slide trombones were used.
“And did I practice in the old barn with closed doors, and march around for hours until I could just burn it up. Well, one winter we were serenading the Council and Simon Plewes, who owned the flour mill, would go in and get the money for the band as we played outside in the snow. It often was way below zero and the valves of the instruments would freeze up. Naturally, the slide on the trombone would freeze up and I forced the slide and the old thing doubled up in three or four pieces and that was the end of the trombone.
“But J. B. Spurr had started a boys’ band and tried me on cornet with Leslie Banner, who lately was the mayor of North Bay and assistant Judge in the Court. We supplied the cornet section for the boys’ band. Our first engagement was a garden party in Dunedin. Dan Mitchell gave us all a bag of candy for playing out in front of his store. Then they loaded us all into a wagon rack filled with straw for Creemore. But the kids’ band didn’t last long as the big band were afraid we might steal their jobs at less money. About this time Herb Chance, who had won prizes with Creemore Band, took the leadership of Penetanguishene Band and opened up business there, but I kept up practice on the cornet. Our next leader was Joe Young from around Fergus, and shortly after he came to town one of our old Council men, David Little, died and the band was asked to play for his funeral. I was asked to play cornet as the lead was weak, so that was my instrument from then on.”