TICKETS

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pest house—A hospital for patients affected with plague or other infectious disease.

Gilmore—Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, known as the "Father of the American Band". Gilmore, a musical soloist in his own right, came from Ireland in 1848, carrying ideas about instrumentation and interpretation from the European bands. With his "new" ideas and a penchant for showmanship, he soon redefined the course of American band music for all time to come. He was especially interested in the advancement of community bands. Wrote many songs, including When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Good News from Home, We are Coming Father Abraham, Seeing Nellie Home, and Famous 22nd Regiment March.

Liberatti—Alessandro Liberati (1847-1927) Born in Italy, played in the Cacciatori Band of Rome. 1872 came to U.S., became a U.S. citizen, and directed his own band that toured the U.S. from 1889-1919 and 1921-23. He also directed the Canadian artillery band at Ottawa, and was a featured soloist with Baldwin’s Cadet Band of Boston.

Pat Conway—Patrick Conway (1865-1929) 1900-08, Director of the Ithaca N.Y. Municipal Band, which later became famous as the Conway Band. Toured and performed around the U.S. at the same time as Sousa’s band. During WWI, was the first U.S. Air Corps bandmaster. In 1922 started the Conway Band School in Ithaca.

The Great Creatore—Giuseppe C. Creatore (1871-1952) Directed the Naples Municipal Band in Naples Italy. Came to the U.S. in 1899. Organized his own band, Creatore’s Orchestra, which toured and performed around the U.S. at the same time as Sousa’s band, and continued performing until 1947.

W.C. Handy—(1873-1958) African-American songwriter and bandleader; b. Florence, Ala. He was among the first to set down the blues and became famous with Memphis Blues and St. Louis Blues.

John Philip Sousa—(1854-1932) American bandmaster and composer; b. Washington, D.C. Gilmore’s successor. He improved the instrumentation and quality of band music. From 1880 to 1892 he led the U.S. Marine Band and in 1892 formed his own band and successfully toured the world. He wrote some 100 marches, many immensely popular, e.g., Semper fidelis (1888) and The Stars and Stripes Forever (1897). Wrote a book called Marching Along — Recollections of men, women and music.

battery—Music: the percussion section; (navy): the heavy guns of a warship.

double bell euphoniums—A duplex instrument is played by one performer, but has the characteristics of two different instruments; the performer is free to choose which of the two he wishes the duplex to be. Many other valved bugle horns have found themselves Siamese-twinned with other brass, but it has been a success only with the euphonium. Patrick S. Gilmore's soloist Harry Whittier was probably the first player to adopt the instrument (in 1888), followed a year later by Sousa's solo euphoniumist Michael Raffayalo. The double-belled instrument, with a fifth valve controlling the choice of tone, was popular not only with soloists but with tutti players as well. There are some wonderful newsreel shots of the Sousa Band showing a rank of upward-belled Sousaphones and a front line including double bell euphoniums.

Frank Gotch and Strangular Lewis lay on the mat for three and a half hours without moving a muscle—Frank Alvin Gotch (1878 - 1917) "The World's Greatest Wrestler" and Ed "Strangler" Lewis (1891 - 1966) From a 1913 newspaper report: "By aid of what is termed the 'neck yoke' in wrestling parlance, Ed 'The Strangler' Lewis of Lexington, Ky., bids fair to become one of the greatest heavyweight wrestlers America ever has produced. It is not improbable that at some future date the crown so ably worn by Frank Gotch, the Humboldt, Iowa, farmer, may rest on the head of the Kentuckian, for he is only a 'kid' in years as well as in the mat game, and still has plenty of time to 'grow.'"

Jeely Kly—This is a regional phrase used as a more acceptable version of "Jesus Christ". Similar substitutes listed in slang dictionaries include Jeazle Peats, Jeezly, jeasley, jeasly, Jee!, Gee! Jee whizz! Jee Whillikins, and Jeasusly.

day laborer—a laborer who works by the day; for daily wages

hear from me till who laid the rails—exact origin unknown, but there are several other variations of the "hear from me until…" phrase that mean, you’ll be hearing about this for a long time, or I won’t forget this anytime soon and you’re going to know it.

Ye Gods—Short for the phrase "Ye gods and little fishes" a curse, or a mock oath or exclamation. A lower and lower middle class catch phrase indicative of contempt. A derisive or humorous exclamation, "mocking a theatrical appeal to the gods." This phrase was used in Ulysses, by James Joyce: "Ten minutes, Martin Cunningham said, looking at his watch Molly. Milly. Same thing watered down. Her tomboy oaths. O jumping Jupiter! Ye gods and little fishes! Still, she's a dear girl. Soon be a woman."