NEWCASTLE'S MUSICAL HERITAGE AN INTRODUCTION By ...

Exchange, and Leazes Park. These shows in some form or other could have
been going since as early as 1824 if we can believe what is said in an 1887
programme that claims to be the 63 rd year the event had been held. Reviewing at
random the years 1878 – 83; we see that the Spring shows were a two day event
with military bands playing all afternoon and evening. These included the bands
of the Royal Marines, Dragoon Guards, Royal engineers and the Coldstream
Guards, conducted by Fred Godfrey – father of Dan Godfrey, founder of the
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. The repertoire of these bands included
pieces by many well-known classical composers. In 1879 the military bands
alternated with an orchestra under the leadership of Mr J.H. Beers (yet again)
with the addition of vocal items on the programme. It was no reflection on the
military bands but this arrangement did lend itself to a better selection and
greater variety of musical items. By 1882, in Leazes Park, the musical
programme included Highland Bands and Choral Music. In 1883 the Spring show
featured Mon. Riviere’s Covent Garden Orchestra Band in a marathon effort from
1.30 pm to 10.00 in the evening. By 1891 the Orchestral Band of Mr John H.
Amers (father of H.G. Amers) was making an appearance. This was a name that
would feature prominently not only in the Military Band culture that seems to
have flourished at around this time, but in the story of music in general.
The Amers, three generations of them, were professional musicians from the
North East. H.G.Amers, the son of J.H.Amers, started as a chorister in St
Georges’ Newcastle and as a youth he played a solo by command before the
Princess of Wales and several times before King Edward VII. He was in the
Northumberland Hussars and saw service in the 1914-18 War in which he was
wounded in action, later being given command of a prisoner-of-war camp. After
the war he became a Captain in the Reserve. He was a handsome fellow; it
seems, always immaculately dressed with a red carnation in his buttonhole and
red hair to match. Much admired by lady members of the audience it is said. He
made his name in Eastbourne where he conducted the pier orchestra, billed as
Captain H.G. Amers and his Famous Band. He had flair and a good sense of
showmanship and never arrived until the second item on the programme,
allowing his deputy to start the concert off. He appeared, as did the orchestra, in
uniform during the day but in the evening he put on evening dress and became
Captain Amers and his Famous Orchestra. Uniforms, flair, style, swagger, these
were all essential ingredients of the Military Band Concerts that had their vogue
at the beginning of the 20 th century.
Military Band Concerts were part of Victorian life and when later the War
Office put a stop to army bands playing outside their regimental districts a gap
was left in the music world which was filled to some extent by civilian bands that
sought to recreate the style and swagger of their military equivalents. They
provided good quality programmes with a mix of instrumental pieces and song,
The instrumental pieces comprised specially composed items as well as
arrangements, rousing marches operatic selections, trivia, pot pouris and even
requests from the audience. Many of the great composers composed pieces
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