Dublin Core
Title
Imatra & National Bands Combined - 1939
Parker Street Hall
Parker Street Hall
Description
l to r
Front row: Fred Junno, Eino Kauppinen, Ulva Sjoblom, Ted Lindstrom, Waino Koski, Fritz Tofferi, Tauno Hannikainen (conductor), ___ Adamson (Fitchburg), ___?, Leo Nurmi, Urho Marks, Toivo Erkkinen
2nd row: Oscar Tofferi, Oscar Ahola, Paavo Erkkinen, Bob Warila Taino Kiuru, Veikko Pekkala, O. Saari, Ulmari Junno, Albert Saari, Attila De Bona, Alfred Depaulo (Quincy)
3rd: Gideon Simila, Henry Grandal, Charlie Ahola, Armas Reini, August Lindstrom, Sr., Gus Hogland, Eino Sandstrom (Fitchburg), Bert Routsala ?, Libby Kaadhima, Kauko Raitinen, Paavo Rutane, Leo Weckstrom
Back row: Matti Lehtinen, Oscar Wasio, ___ Luukkonen (Quincy), Paul Koski, Everett Saari, Reion Linnna, Eino Nelson, Anton Anderson, H. Makki
The information below was provided by Edward Brennan (from one of his scrap books).
Band Performances:
Quincy, MA - April 7, 1940
Maynard, MA - June 9, 1940
Gardner, MA - October 6, 1940
Keene, NH - October 20, 1940
Maynard, MA - November 3, 1940
NYC - Brooklyn, NY - November 10, 1940
Keene, NH - January 19, 1941
Fitchburg, MA - January 26, 1941
Concord, NH - February 2, 1941
Maynard, Massachusetts - 1940. The combined Maynard, Mass. Finnish Bands. The "Imatra" and the "National" Bands.
"This was about the only time the two Finnish factions could get together and bury the hatchet somewhere else other than in each other's heads. They united in a common cause, to raise money for Finland in their fight with Russia in 1939-1940-1941. They travelled around to the various Finnish communities in the East and also went to NYC and Brooklyn for concerts. The conductor for these concerts was Tauno Hannikainen of the Helsinki Symphony and the Helsinki Grand Opera Co. He was one of a musical family of five brothers, a great exponent of Sibelius' music, and a marvelous all-around conductor. This was a much better sounding band than the 1926 one, ... mainly because the younger players ... were now older and had matured greatly as musicians, and this band had the best possible conductor.
I did not play with this group when they first formed for the 1939-1940 season, for two reasons: they already had six tubas as the picture shows, and I was just about a year at the tuba and felt a bit inexperienced. But when the 1940-1941 season rolled around, and they formed again, four of the six tubas dropped out, so I was in, and travelled to the various Finnish communities with them. It was a great experience playing under such a fine conductor, and the thrill of my young lifetime. At the time, the numbers they played seemed quite difficult to me as a beginner. Finlandia, Balse, Trist, William Tell Overture, Barber of Seville Overture, Artist's Life, Waltz of Strauss, Ballet Egyptian, etc. etc. I look back now and wind up chuckling for I can eat these numbers up quite easily now, but this is the stuff musicians and dreams are made of, and I am happy to have been a member of this great band, even if it was for only a short while.
Like any other band, there are always one or two "ringers" and this band was no exception. In the picture, second row on the extreme right, the first two clarinet players were from Quincy, and I believe they were Italians. I never got to know them or their names nor have ever seen them again, but they were marvelous players, both of them. About six or seven other men were from Fitchburg, Gardner, and Quincy, but otherwise the bulk of the band was from Maynard.
The tuba player third from the left in the back row had a son playing clarinet in the band who was probably as good as most of the other clarinet players. He must have been missing at the time for he is not in the picture. His name was Leo Luukkonen. They were from Quincy.
Tauno Hannikianen, the conductor, remained in this country for several years after this. He became conductor of the Duluth Minnesota Symphony and after a few years there, he went to Chicago Symphony where he was assistant leader under Arthur Rodzinski. This was as high as he got, and it was a pity he was never able to get a conductorship of a major symphony, for he was very much deserving of it."
Front row: Fred Junno, Eino Kauppinen, Ulva Sjoblom, Ted Lindstrom, Waino Koski, Fritz Tofferi, Tauno Hannikainen (conductor), ___ Adamson (Fitchburg), ___?, Leo Nurmi, Urho Marks, Toivo Erkkinen
2nd row: Oscar Tofferi, Oscar Ahola, Paavo Erkkinen, Bob Warila Taino Kiuru, Veikko Pekkala, O. Saari, Ulmari Junno, Albert Saari, Attila De Bona, Alfred Depaulo (Quincy)
3rd: Gideon Simila, Henry Grandal, Charlie Ahola, Armas Reini, August Lindstrom, Sr., Gus Hogland, Eino Sandstrom (Fitchburg), Bert Routsala ?, Libby Kaadhima, Kauko Raitinen, Paavo Rutane, Leo Weckstrom
Back row: Matti Lehtinen, Oscar Wasio, ___ Luukkonen (Quincy), Paul Koski, Everett Saari, Reion Linnna, Eino Nelson, Anton Anderson, H. Makki
The information below was provided by Edward Brennan (from one of his scrap books).
Band Performances:
Quincy, MA - April 7, 1940
Maynard, MA - June 9, 1940
Gardner, MA - October 6, 1940
Keene, NH - October 20, 1940
Maynard, MA - November 3, 1940
NYC - Brooklyn, NY - November 10, 1940
Keene, NH - January 19, 1941
Fitchburg, MA - January 26, 1941
Concord, NH - February 2, 1941
Maynard, Massachusetts - 1940. The combined Maynard, Mass. Finnish Bands. The "Imatra" and the "National" Bands.
"This was about the only time the two Finnish factions could get together and bury the hatchet somewhere else other than in each other's heads. They united in a common cause, to raise money for Finland in their fight with Russia in 1939-1940-1941. They travelled around to the various Finnish communities in the East and also went to NYC and Brooklyn for concerts. The conductor for these concerts was Tauno Hannikainen of the Helsinki Symphony and the Helsinki Grand Opera Co. He was one of a musical family of five brothers, a great exponent of Sibelius' music, and a marvelous all-around conductor. This was a much better sounding band than the 1926 one, ... mainly because the younger players ... were now older and had matured greatly as musicians, and this band had the best possible conductor.
I did not play with this group when they first formed for the 1939-1940 season, for two reasons: they already had six tubas as the picture shows, and I was just about a year at the tuba and felt a bit inexperienced. But when the 1940-1941 season rolled around, and they formed again, four of the six tubas dropped out, so I was in, and travelled to the various Finnish communities with them. It was a great experience playing under such a fine conductor, and the thrill of my young lifetime. At the time, the numbers they played seemed quite difficult to me as a beginner. Finlandia, Balse, Trist, William Tell Overture, Barber of Seville Overture, Artist's Life, Waltz of Strauss, Ballet Egyptian, etc. etc. I look back now and wind up chuckling for I can eat these numbers up quite easily now, but this is the stuff musicians and dreams are made of, and I am happy to have been a member of this great band, even if it was for only a short while.
Like any other band, there are always one or two "ringers" and this band was no exception. In the picture, second row on the extreme right, the first two clarinet players were from Quincy, and I believe they were Italians. I never got to know them or their names nor have ever seen them again, but they were marvelous players, both of them. About six or seven other men were from Fitchburg, Gardner, and Quincy, but otherwise the bulk of the band was from Maynard.
The tuba player third from the left in the back row had a son playing clarinet in the band who was probably as good as most of the other clarinet players. He must have been missing at the time for he is not in the picture. His name was Leo Luukkonen. They were from Quincy.
Tauno Hannikianen, the conductor, remained in this country for several years after this. He became conductor of the Duluth Minnesota Symphony and after a few years there, he went to Chicago Symphony where he was assistant leader under Arthur Rodzinski. This was as high as he got, and it was a pity he was never able to get a conductorship of a major symphony, for he was very much deserving of it."
Creator
Samuel Photo Service
Maynard, Mass.
Maynard, Mass.
Date
1939
Contributor
Roy Helander
Identifier
2013.141
2021.520
2021.520
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Photo print
Physical Dimensions
8 x 10 in.; two copies
Storage
PB42
SU18-7
DB25
SU9-6
Ed Brennan scrap book:
Scrapbook 2019.42
Scrapbook 2019.42