The Council Room

[David Bentley]

Imagine me, the son of Brad Bentley, starting a thread entitled "Music at Wyanoke". I can feel the earth tremble as I type as my Dad rolls in his grave a few hundred yards up the hill from my house.

However, although I am a-musical, I do enjoy music, and today is the annual rendition of TubaChristmas here in Wolfeboro. This event is under the large umbrella of the Harvey Phillips Foundation, but each venue is essentially autonomous. All the instruments are tubas (tubi ?), in one incarnation or anothe and they play traditional Christmas carols, some very old, some new, and the conductress even has a few arrangements of her own combining traditional carols with other music (ie., O, Little Town of Bethlehem combined with When the Saints Go Marching In).

If you Google 'tuba Christmas' you can find out a whole lot more.

This concert always brings back seriously fond memories of Wyanoke men and boys playing together to make the Band in that these tuba players generally haven't played together much (maybe annually), but they combine their personal skills with their love of music to make a very pleasant afternoon concert for those of us in attendance.
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

[David Bentley]

Okay, okay, I get it, tuba music isn't anyone's particular first choice, I understand.

In the 1956 or 1957 range there was a senior camper named Mac Carter, and he could play the piano with the best of them. He was quite athletic, particularly track, but his real passion was the piano, and, in particular, boogie woogie and ragtime. He practically wore out the keys on the piano in the Chapel. So, today I was roaming around the U-Tube and typed in 'boogie woogie piano', and this lead to any number of choices, and on to other instruments and other types of music - like marches.

I am sure that if you can type it, it is there, musically, on U-Tube. Granted, some of the offerings are played by grade school or middle school, but others are played by the likes of national champion drum and bugle corps groups, Ohio State, and recognized stars such as Liberace, Diane Bish (organ), and others.

Sometime when you want to listen to a wide range of music, or any of the favorites from Camp, go to U-Tube and type in anything (Mrs Murphy's chowder) and go from there.

You see, in Wolfeboro in the late fall and winter, when all the tourists are gone, we have to make our own entertainment until they all come back.

Merry Christmas.
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C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

[J Paul Jodoin]

Occasionally, there were entertainment assemblies at camp. I can remember on one occasion some guy mounted the stage and started playing the banjo. My attitude was, “How hokey is that?” I thought that stuff died out with the minstrel shows. Not so! Oh well, not every act is an “A” act.

One exhibit or entertainment I remember very vividly involved science. The demonstrator started bouncing a rubber ball in the aisle of the assembly hall. The next thing I knew, he was dipping the ball in something he said was liquid nitrogen. After that, he tossed it to the aisle floor and it shattered into countless pieces. Impressive. Later, I picked up a shard of the rubber ball and it was just a supple as ever.

Things you remember . . .
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C-1 '45
C-2 '46
J-11 '49

[DavidAyars]

[J Paul Jodoin]

David,

Glad you're here. It wasn't my intention “to backslap the board host” into a discussion. What I provided was an unalloyed, frozen-in-time, six-year-old's impression of the banjo. I even thought my cabin councilor's trombone was a bit weird at the time (Cabin 1, '45).

My folks started taking me to Boston's Symphony Hall when I was 5. My father played both the sousaphone and the cello. (How's that for incongruity?) My mother and I both played the piano, and the house was steeped in classical music.

Thanks for the link, “Top Ten Musical Instruments to Play”. The didgeridoo, bagpipes and banjo may all be difficult to master but so are the French Horn, oboe and violin. As a matter of personal preference, I lean to the latter.

As for the YouTube link, “Bob Fleck Banjo Summit”, it's quite obvious that Mike can hold his own on the banjo (and then some). It reminds me that I was thoroughly charmed by the “dueling banjos” sequence in the movie, “Deliverance”. It really set a happy backwoods mood . . . which got darker and darker as the film progressed.

Ultimately, it comes down to: De gustibus non est disputandum.
_________________
C-1 '45
C-2 '46
J-11 '49

[David Bentley]

I remember the science show with the liquid nitrogen, however, it must have been a second show because in 1949 I was a first year midget in C-1 and I doubt that I would have remember such a show.

Over the years there were many "home-grown" talent groups at Wyanoke, and it may have been due to the popularity of the Kingston Trio and music of that genre.

As I think back over these groups I realize I am not smart enough musically to really make any comments, but that having been said and set aside, I will wade in. At the time, between the late 1950s and the late 1960s, any group of singers brave enough to get up and sing was, in my mind, a great group. And, at the time, that was all that counted. Now, looking back, maybe some were more great, and some maybe less great, but the point is, they got together, learned a few songs, and had the fortitude to get up and treat the rest of us to their offerings. To those of us who didn't fit that profile, they were great and we enjoyed them.
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

[Steve Hood]

David is far,far, far, far to modest.

I remember David Bentley was one of the "four-star drummers" in the Wyanoke Band.

And he is correct about teens and young adults forming folk groups. This is why I enjoyed singing in the Pace Setters. A picture of our group is on the second page of my picture gallery at this site.

I can also attest to the difficulty of playing the banjo. One summer I tried to learn the banjo and made absolutely zero progress. The bugle and trumpet were far easier.

As proof of my banjo playing, check this picture from my album: www.wyanoke.com/gallery/SteveHood/Banjo
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1951: C-9. F. Whitemore, P. Durkee.
1952-53: J-11. E. Wilkins.
1957: S-7 D. Irons, JA
1958: J-4 W.Dann JC
1959: J-1 G.Engstrom JC
1960-61-63: J-6. Councillor
1964: JA-2. Councillor

[J Paul Jodoin]

This is in response to David Bentley's response above. He was entirely correct that the “liquid nitrogen” show I mentioned in my earlier post was staged in 1949. Frankly, I'm not surprised he found the performance so memorable.

My1946 introduction and reaction to the banjo were in no way connected to that event. I merely cited that science show as an example of an entertainment I found more engaging than many of the instrumental events I witnessed. Once again, personal taste.

Now here's another remembrance from Wyanoke's assembly hall. It occurred on August 14th, 1945. That was the Tuesday movie evening. The film was interrupted at one point and the house lights came on. It was announced that World War II had just ended. Wow!

I'm sure there are still a few Wyanoke campers around, like Michael Dukakis now 81, who remember that announcement.
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C-1 '45
C-2 '46
J-11 '49

[Robert Vaughan]

Attending Tanglewood's opening night last night, I was pleased that one of Samuel Barber's compositions was highlighted in the first half with Renee Fleming singing along with the piece.

I regaled my family and anyone else who would listen that Barber wrote the Camp Wyanoke song. I know they were impressed!

[DavidAyars]

I have finally gotten around to scanning and editing images of a bunch of camp photos and much of my camp memorabilia which have been squirreled away in a box for years where they do everyone a world of good. After the reunion I will email the scans to Mike and he can post them as he chooses to the Personal Photo Galleries and Memorabilia sections of www.wyanoke.com in his Copious Free Time. At the rate the two of us often get our acts together, look for this material sometime around 2026.

One of the things I had saved was two printed pamphlet copies of "Wyanoke Songs." Of course these were collectors' items even at the time, trading for a premium at the Camp Store, and I hate to think what they would bring on eBay now.

I think the idea of this songbook was that it could be passed out on rainy day assemblies and much merriment would be shared and all our weather worries washed away. But most songs in the pamphlet, like "The Gridiron King" (a Harvard song) or "Lord Jeffrey Amherst," were not commonly performed during my time at camp, 1965-1975.

BUT... here are the lyrics to three songs that we did sing numerous times each summer:


The Camp Hymn (sung at the end of each campfire):
(To the tune of Maryland, My Maryland, which can be found on YouTube should you forget how the tune goes)

Let music rule the fleeting hour; thrill our hearts with all its power.
Pile high the log and let good cheer drive away all care and fear.
We'll rally round the camp tonight; in mirth and fellowship unite.
And now we pledge our faith anew; Wyanoke we're true to you.


Wyanoke Loyalty (sung at assemblies)
(To the tune of Illinois)

We're loyal to you, Wyanoke.
To the Gray and the Blue, Wyanoke.
Forever to thee
Faithful sons we will be;
We'll praise you in song, Wyanoke.
We'll cheer you along, Wyanoke.
When camp days we leave behind us,
Still through the years you'll find us,
Loyal to you, Wyanoke.


Wyanoke Forever (sung at assemblies):
(lyrics and music by classical composer Samuel Barber)

Up in New Hampshire hills,
On Winter Harbor shores.
Playground for you and me,
And for boys of years before;
This is her motto true:
"Courage and loyalty."
It's the finest camp in all the world;
It's Wyanoke for me.
So it's RAH RAH for Wyanoke.
It's RAH RAH for Wyanoke,
It's RAH RAH for Wyanoke
Forevermore.
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Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975