Music Trade Review 1907

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BANJOISTS' CONVENTION BUSY.

Important Business Is to Change Mandola from Tenor to Baritone.

(Special to The Review.)

Philadelphia, Pa.; March 21, 1907. Banjoists, mandolinists and guitarists from all over the country arrived in the city yesterday for the annual convention of the American Guild, which opens this morning in the Walton Hotel. In the ranks of delegates are some of the most prominent players in the world, as well as the best-known manufacturers. Every man has at least one instrument.with him, and for the next three days there will be music galore.

At the convention this morning one of the most important things will be an attempt to convert the mandola, from tenor to baritone. This instrument is a sort of an overgrown mandolin, and the musicians want the tuning changed from tenor to the tune ranks of the viola. Another thing that will be attempted is to get all the banjo makers to have the frets on their instruments made alike.

This evening the whole crowd of string ticklers will give a concert in Witherspoon Hall. Friday there will be more convention and a banquet, and Saturday the delegates will visit the interesting parts of the city.

Myron A. Bickford, of Springfield, is president of the guild, and Thomas J. Armstrong, of this city, is chairman of the executive committee.

PDF:  MTR-1907-44-12-25.pdf

A GREAT GATHERING

Of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists Meet in Philadelphia—Manufacturers Exhibit Their Wares in the Wanamaker Building— Some of the Interesting Papers Read.

(Special to The Review.)

Philadelphia, Pa., March 26, 19.07. The small goods business in this city has been good in March. Particularly in the last week has there been a very big spurt in this line. This in a great measure was due to the holding in Philadelphia last week of the sixth annual convention and festival of the American Guild of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists. A special feature introduced in this connection was the first national exhibition given by the society, which was held in one of the spacious unfinished rooms of the Wanamaker new store. Members of the Guild from all over the country were present. President Myron A. Bickford, of Springfield, Mass., presided over the sessions. One of the leading discussions brought out by the convention was the adopting of the English system of writing for the banjo, which was adopted, so that hereafter the banjo will be uniform in notation. It was also decided that the suggestion be made to manufacturers of musical instruments to tune mandolins one octave" lower, that they may harmonize with the viola in orchestra work.

On Thursday evening, March 21, a big concert was held in Witherspoon Hall, presided over by Thomas J. Armstrong. The Festival Orchestra of 150 performers, directed by Carl Tschopp, played a number of selections, and solos were played by Emma Schubert, Alfred A. Farland, the Albrecht Mandolin Club, George C. Krick, the Philadelphia Quintette Club, led by O. H. Albrecht; Richard L. Weaver, and the Guild Club of 50 players, directed by Myron A. Bickford and Thomas J. Armstrong.

Large crowds were in attendance at all times at the exposition. The following firms exhibited: H. A. Weymann & Son, of Philadelphia; the Vega Co., of Boston; W. C. Stahl, of Milwaukee; C. L. Partee Music Co., of New York; H. F. Odell & Co., of Boston; Maulbetsch & Whittemore Co., of Newark, N. J.; the Elias Howe Co., of Boston; A. C. Fairbanks & Co., of Boston; the Farland banjo, exhibited by Mr. Farland himself; Fred J. Bacon, of Chicago; the Bauer Co., of Philadelphia, makers of the celebrated S. S. Stewart banjos and the Bauer mandolins and guitars; C. F. Martin & Co., of Nazareth, Pa.; Rettberg & Lange, of New York, and Alfred Chenet & Co., of Boston.

All of these manufacturers had very fine displays of practically all of their various instruments, while the Maulbetsch & Whlttemore Co. had a fine booth of leather cases, and H. F. Odell & Co. and the C. L. Partee Music Co. devoted their display to strings and sheet music and music books.

Among the papers read at the convention were: "The Music Publisher and Teacher," by C. L. Partee, of New York; "English and American Notation," by George L. Lansing, of Boston, and "Plectral Music versus Commercialism," by W. J. Kitchener, New York.

PDF: MTR-1907-44-13-41.pdf