Selections from a concert, date unknown (but definitely early twentieth century), by the New Hartford Village Band. There were 45 pieces performed, almost all were short marches, dances, or waltzes. The names are emphatically American/Northern European/Scottish/German/and what might be called ‘Imperial’. It must have been quite the evening of dancing for the audience. These performances were as much about giving the audience a chance to dance as they were about the actual music.
The dance may have taken place in several different locations. The Community House, which is now the Post Office Lot, is a very likely location; this was used for a wide range of events: from dinners to dances, and the occasional relief effort following an emergency, and was in use until the building burned in the 1940’s. It is also possible that the Town Hall’s Meeting Hall, located on the third story and an elegant space spanning the entire story, was used. This space gradually became filled in during the late twentieth century with offices. However, following the 1998 expansion it was restored to its former splendor. The other alternative, least likely, was the Star Theatre, which was primarily a movie theater, but may have had the space for the audience to dance. The Star, located right against the Farmington River, was destroyed in a flood.
“Star Spangled Banner’
‘La Fayette’s March’
‘Colburn’s Quick March’
‘Saxon Waltz’
‘Auld Lang Syne’
‘Swiss Guard’s March’
‘Lord Hardwick’s March’
‘General Bolivar’s March’
‘New York March’
‘Old Hundred’
‘Home, Sweet Home’
New Hartford Historical Society 