Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Pioneer Music

Last week I got all gussied up and drove over to the meeting house for our Daughters of the Utah Pioneers meeting and no one was there.  Someone put the wrong date on the schedule and I changed my phone so I didn't get a reminder call. Now what do I do?

Oh well, today I got all gussied up again and found friendship, a hearty lunch and learned about the pioneers.

Wagon and Spinning Wheel Decorations
We had a bit of candy left from Halloween. A cute little pioneer wagon adorned the table.

Artifacts shown were a button hole hook for shoes with an ivory handle. I bet that it cost a pretty penny or two.

The yellowish plastic tatting shuttle was sent around the room.  I saw a shop on Etsy from Anna in Poland who is tatting earrings - very clever.   Koroneczka at Etsy - check her out. She does tatted Christmas ornaments too.

Tatting Shuttle

This crocheted bedspread was made about 1940 by a member's grandmother.

We sang an old Irish song, "The Lily of the West".  There is a current version of this 100-year-old song by the Chieftains at The Lily of the West and I must say that it is a better rendition than a bunch of old campers singing it.  The pioneers brought this song along with them and probably used a flute or violin - portable musical instruments were all they could bring.
William Grant (1838 - 1916)

William Grant was paid to sing in his grandfather's pub in England when he was a small boy. He was an extremely small man and was affectionally, called "stubby". Not only could he sing well but he also learned to play the coronet. While at Ellis Island, he played his coronet for the masses. Becoming famous for his music, he was enticed to move to American Fork, Utah where he started a brass band and Grant's Emporium. Later, he was arrested and thrown in jail with the other polygamists. While there, he started a jail band. He had two wives and 31 children.

Children came into his Emporium and traded an egg for candy.  There was a divot line the length of the counter so that when an egg was placed on it, the egg would not fall off. One young boy came in and his egg fell off splattering everywhere onto the floor. William gave the boy candy anyway because the boy was honest.  He knew he was honest because it was not a hard boiled egg (a lunch for many children).




3 comments:

Anne said...

Hi Ruth, I have just joined your blog. I have enjoyed reading. Notice from your header that you are into genealogical research, I am too and have traced my family several generations. Check out my blog if you would like to read a little about my ancestors! Best Wishes, Anne

Cranberry Morning said...

Another good reason why one should learn a musical instrument besides the piano. They're a bit bulky to transport! Looks like you had a good time. The tatting skill is way beyond my patience level. It's beautiful though.

Ruth Kelly said...

Hi Anne,

Will check out your blog. Thanks for joining me.

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