Wrentham's Famous Band

     From the files of George Winters,

   made available by Muriel Beresford.

A tale I will tell you of some Wrentham boys,

     How they started a band long ago;

Tho a thing of the past, still the memory is there

     They remember those times, I know.

Turn back the pages in life's yearly book.

     To a winter up there in that old town.

Many people up there remember that band   

    And the noise they made, with a frown.

In Wrentham's town, some years ago

   A band was started, boys you know

All joined the thing - how it did grow,

   From field and factory hand.

A leader down from Franklin came;

   Fitzgerald, was his name,

To start the boys on the road to fame:

   This famous Wrentham band.

At first they met over Redding's barn,

   But soon the noise did so much harm,

His horses kicked in wild alarm;

   This racket they could not stand.

So down they went both fat and lank,

   Into the basement of the bank;

Till, "Move again", proposed some crank,

   You famous Wrentham band.

This time they moved up over Stones's Store;

   'Twas just the place - bare walls and floor,

The music sounded with a roar,

   Far out beyond Shackstand,

Fitzgerald taught them all he knew;

   Gave up command, resigned, got through.

Geo. Farrington - they thought he'd do,

   To lead this Wrentham Band.

When learning, awful sounds they'd make;

    'Twas every noise, both great and small

No one played right - 'twas all a mistake,

    Most racket in the land.

The base horn blew, like the lions roar,

   All blew until their lungs got sore

Each house, from shook ceiling to floor,

   With din, from Wrentham's band

 

This band would always take great care,

   To point their horns straight up in the air,

When playing ; for I do declare,

   Thunder never shook the land,

Like noise these boys made when they blew,

   Aimed at a house, the shingles flew

And windows broke, the inmates grew,

   Afraid of Wrentham's band.

From out their horns such noise would pour,

   Dead fish were found on Archer's shore;

The tall church spire would shake and rock

   Such noise would stop the clock:

From off your foot would tear your sock,

   Music - from Wrentham's band.

These Wrentham boys were not so slow, 

    Nice uniforms they bought, I know,

The man that sold them told them so;

   (He was smooth tongued and bland),

Although these suits were not quite new,

   The band boys said "guessed they'd do."

With these we'll cut a dash or two,

   In Wrentham's famous band.

But when the suits were bought, 'twas found

   Some were too short, some dragged the ground

And then began some trading 'round,

   They cussed the suits, and damned;

They tried to fix them up some way,

  Coat tails cut off, sleeves fixed up, they

With caps and plumes, did look quite gay;

   This famous Wrentham band.

The Wrentham band came out one night, 

    In uniforms, (they were a sight)

Their instruments were polished bright,

   They scrubbed them up with sand.

It grew so hot up in Stone's hall,

   That out they came; first one then all,

Oh, what a crush! Oh, what a gall!

   For Wrentham's famous band 

They formed in line up near the church

   When someone yelled, "Come off your perch"

It scared them all, they gave a lurch

   And fell down in the sand.

But strange to say, no one was hurt

   Their instruments were full of dirt

They'd suck it in then spit and squirt

    This famous Wrentham band.

Before the music would begin,

   Each man would put a big chew in;

The juice would run down on his chin, 

   Then on the ground would land.

Each tune they played tobacco flew,

   Unless you dodged, it would hit you

With awful force their horns they blew

   The famous Wrentham band.

They started off a smart quick pace;

   Big Dennis playing base.

Six feet tall, with smiling face,

   You'd think he owned the band.

Travers and Gilmore, tenor played

  McGaw and Morse, alto, much noise they made

Sweet blew trombone, dogs grew afraid, 

  and howled at Wrentham's band

Dunbar, Farnham and Farrington, cornets blew,

   Wheeler, Parker and Finn each had one too

The noise they made would split a rock in two

    They thought it sounded grand.

Such racket there from drum and fife,

  Like many pigs stuck with a knife,   

You'd think would bring the dead to life

   This noise from Wrentham's band.

Three boys up there played clarinet,

   The sounds they made were loud, you bet

They learned on fish horns, play them yet,

  Each thought his noise most grand.

Ashley and Tolliver - B flat,

  Fred Cook blew E flat: dogs did scat, 

Like guinea hens, such squeaks they'd get

  From Wrentham's famous band

   

Lew Perry played the little drum

   'Twas rub-a-dub, for fun.

The sticks were crooked yet they "done"

   As long as drums did stand.

Hatch whacked the big drum, smashed it through.

   The drumstick slipped, inside it flew,

The drum he then beat with his shoe.

   For Wrentham's famous band.

Their uniforms, they were a sight;

  No coats would fit, the pants too tight;

Caps stuffed with hay, oh what a plight

   But then these boys felt grand

The first tune played was "Old John Brown", 

   Some played it backwards -  upside down,

As John was dead, he could not frown

  On Wrentham's famous band.

Then Hayseed Polka they did play,  

   The menfolks winked, old maids got gay

And farmers shouted out "Horray".

   The music was so grand.

But when they dragged "Old Hundred" out,

   With one accord they raised a shout

"Play faster, what are you about,

    You lazy, Wrentham Band"

But worse, the noise from clarinet

   These sounds once heard you'd ne'er forget.

Methinks I still can hear them yet.

  They squealed out o'er the land.

Cook's E-flat screeched the worst of all.

  To play these things took lots of gall,

Between the rests, they'd yell and brawl,

  "Hurrarh; for Wrentham's Band".

One boy had on two pairs of pants,

   To show his shape how he would prance,

And wink at girls at every chance.

   He felt so big and grand.

Young Fillebrown, the horn he blew,

   You'd think he'd bust the thing in two,

'Twas "I can make more noise then you".

   These boys in Wrentham's band.

That night the band so thirst got,

   Raised thirteen cents right on the spot

It was for cider, which they bought,

   And drank all they could stand.

Then started out to make a spread,

   The stuff worked up, got in their head.

By each a different tune was played,

   By Wrentham's famous band.

This band long since has passed away,

   No music good enough to play

Never was written, so they say,

   Since Cook he left the band

One night he tried to lead them all,

   With claironett, Oh, what a gall!

 That finished it, That was the fall!   

    Of Wrentham's famous band.

Their uniforms are laid away

   In some man's barn amongst the hay

No more they'll have them on and play,

   These lads that felt so grand

Some boys have got their brass horns yet,

   They'll keep them too, for you can bet,

They think of days they can't forget,

   With Wrentham's famous band.

Long in the history of the town,

   Will Wrentham's band be handed down,

'Tho some remember, with a frown,

   "Columbia! Happy Land,"

And "Yankee Doodle", Auld Lang Syne",

   Although it made the dogs all whine

The natives said they played them fine

   This famous Wrentham band.

1906                   John Hatch