Community Bands
The academies of dilettanti and community bands differ in their effective purposes and on the function granted to the professional musician. The purposes of musical fruition, practice and education are, in the course of the nineteenth century, associated to notions like individualism and (artistic) merit and to the enhancement of practical knowledge: these aspects are emphasized in both collectivities, being noticed, in what concerns to the dilettantes academies, the individual status of its interpreters- members, and in what concerns to community bands, the importance of the collective and the willingness in the access to musical learning by the lower classes or by workers’ corporations, meant for the service of that institution.
The academies of dilettanti are constituted by several musical groups: choir, orchestra, band, and others; the “community bands” are, broadly speaking, bands. In Lisbon’s dilettanti academies (and possibly in Madeira’s), the professional musician was considered an honorary member, for the services rendered to the institution: its functions included the direction and teaching of the aforementioned groups. In community bands, the professional musician is indispensable to the institution, in his functions as conductor, author of original compositions, arrangements and transcriptions, teacher and performer.
The constitution of community bands was handled, roughly, by the institutionalization of groups of wind and percussion ensembles similar to regimental bands or by the creation in society of the effective of the band, by popular initiative, by patronage of a noble or bourgeois or by professional association of the same activity. The first community of this kind arises in 1844 (interestingly the founding date of the first society devoted exclusively to the practice of band repertoire in Lisbon, the Sociedade Filarmónica Instrutiva):
The tenth anniversary of the famous June 5th, 1844 was celebrated this year with more than the usual demonstrations of satisfaction, despite the current state of progressive subsidence trade. To the pompous festivities in the Cathedral made by the City Council, in which the speaker was the Vicar of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, to the bright lighting of the Praça Constitucional, since morning fully dressed of copious flowers and flags, to the saves of the fortresses, of the frigate Diana beautifully flagged, and from the 1st Artillery, to the discharges of the 11th Detachment that made Honor guard to the Sé, to the Ball at Clube Funchalense, etc. etc., This year the biggest added reason for public satisfaction was the extraordinary abundance of music. In the afternoon played in the Praça Constitucional the great bands of the frigate Diana and the 11th Detachment, and in the evening during the lighting, the band of the frigate and the one of the “curious” of the Sociedade Filarmónica, which has little lacking. A fourth band of “curious” went across the Praça at night. The public contest at the Praça Constitucional was too big, and really the lighting of candles and color glasses shone much between the leafy grove that covers it. (O Defensor, 8/6/1844)
Given the constant reference to the musical initiatives of the dilettanti in the periodical press, the absence of any indication of the origin of the “fourth band” suggests that it was a community band; despite, this band is not mentioned in the following years.
The February 18th 1850, “young men of various mechanical professions”, assisted by one of Severiano Ferraz sons, founded the Filarmónica Artístico Funchalense (now Banda Municipal do Funchal)(i). Between 1859 and 1860 appears the Filarmónica Recreio Artístico Funchalense, active until the end of the first quarter of the twentieth century.
Since the 1870’s several popular communities were created(ii), as a result of the discourses that favored the educational ability of music as promoter of progress and civilization and attributed merit and recognition to the holders of artistic ability. In 1869 the writer of A Voz do Povo exalted the Filarmónica Artistas Funchalenses: “We thank the artists who ennoble themselves giving honorable steps on the path of progress and taking place in the great banquet of civilization.” Between 1871 and 1872, emmerged the Filarmónica Recreio dos Lavradores (now Banda Municipal de Câmara de Lobos); the date maintained by the institution is November 18th 1872. On September 9th 1872, as result of a quarrel within the Philarmonica Artístico Funchalense, was founded the Filarmónica Artístico Madeirense (now Banda Distrital do Funchal). In 1874 three bands appear: one Filarmónica in Santa Cruz; the Sociedade Filarmónica Paulense (in 1929, is called Filarmónica Monte Carmo do Paul do Mar; since 1940 is entitled Banda Municipal Paulense); the Filarmónica União de São Jorge (active until 1920). Between 1874 and 1875 was founded the Filarmónica União Fraternal Ribeirabravense (the date established by Banda Municipal da Ribeira Brava is May 6th 1889). In late 1876 it was created a wind ensemble in Porto Moniz, whose activity lasted until the late nineteenth century. On November 26th 1878 was founded the Filarmónica Fanfarra Funchalense, active at least until 1887.
In 1882 there is reference to two wind ensembles in Santa Cruz – União Santacruzense and Fraternal Recreativa Santacruzense – one of these active only until 1888. In the same year was created the Filarmónica Restauração de Portugal; in 1885 it began to use the name of its benefactor, Prince d’Oldembourg; it was extinct in 1964, reactivated in 1985, only liaising with the Filarmónica Restauração de Portugal since 1996. In 1883 a Filarmónica entitled Operária de Santo António do Funchal was active. We must refer in this decade the formation of bands as a ludic space of a laboral corporation: the Band of Bombeiros Voluntários Madeirenses [Madeiran Volunteer Firemen] is founded in 1889, with integration, by invitation of the Municipality, of musicians from the Filarmónica Artística Funchalense; the Filarmónica Recreio União Comercial was founded in about 1898.
On December 1st 1895 was founded the Filarmónica Recreio União Faialense (now Banda Filarmónica do Faial). The Filarmónica D. Carlos I (now Banda Municipal de Machico) was created between 1896 and 1897; the date set by the institution is November 1st 1896. In 1899, the attempt to set up a band in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos ultimatelly failed.
Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century is observed the demographic growth of the existing bands and the founding of several wind ensembles that would dictate, respectively, to the presence of part of the bands in service (a phenomenon that we still witness today, being common to choose between 18 to 30 musicians) and the end of contracts established between the events’ organizations and the regimental band. The history of the wind ensembles from the late-nineteenth century and nineteenth-century is also characterized by the phenomenon of creation of new bands – titled “new music” – in municipalities already provided with such an institution. With few exceptions, most of these communities became extinct during the same century, and it should be noted the subsequent attempt to rebuild the wind ensemble. Finally, note the creation of youth wind ensembles, some of which within institutions of general or specialized education: Banda da Escola de Artes e Ofícios (1921), Banda Recreio Mocidade Funchalense (1922), Orquestra de Sopros do Gabinete Coordenador de Direcção Artística (1993) (now Direcção de Serviços de Educação Artística e Multimédia) and Orquestra de Sopros do Conservatório – Escola Profissional das Artes da Madeira – Eng. Luís Peter Clode.
The bands founded during the nineteenth century whose activity lasted until the present day are the Banda Recreio Camponês, founded in Câmara de Lobos on December 1st 1910 ; the Filarmónica União Santacruzense, established in 1922 (although it should be noted that the date of Foundation established by the sole community band active nowadays in this area, the Banda Municipal de Santa Cruz, colectividade única desta zona, is December 8th 1887); the Fanfarra Recreio Santanense (now Banda Municipal de Santana ), created in 1926 ( their predecessors are described below); the Grupo Musical de Nossa Senhora de Fátima, constituted three years after in Arco de São Jorge, predecessor of the Banda Escola Nossa Senhora de Fátima of Arco de São Jorge (whose date of foundation seems to be October 13th 1933); the Sociedade Musical do Porto Santo, created between 1930 and 1933 and extinct in 1971, and the consequent founding of the Filarmónica da Casa do Povo de Nossa Senhora da Piedade do Porto Santo in 1988; the Banda Paroquial de São Lourenço – Camacha, created in 1973; the Banda Orquestral – os Infantes, founded July 27th 1986; the Banda Filarmónica da Casa do Povo de São Vicente, established in 1990; and the Orquestra de Sopros do Gabinete Coordenador de Direcção Artística, incorporated under this government institution in 1993. In the XXI century the following collectivities were founded: the Banda Filarmónica do Caniço e Eiras, created in 2003; the Orquestra de Sopros da Associação de Bandas Filarmónicas da Região Autónoma da Madeira, constituted in 2007; and the Banda Filarmónica de Santo António, founded in 2010.
Other institutions established in the twentieth century became extinct, due to factors such as emigration, the emergence of new leisure activities (among them, mainly the emergence of institutions devoted to the practice of sport), the achieved success by the existing bands and their wide membership affiliation, the socio-economic instability of the 1930’s and the World Wars and the Overseas conflict. Within this scope, mentioned should be done to: the Filarmónica Recreio Lusitano, initiated between 1900 and 1909; the Fanfarra Recreio de São Roque, founded in 1901; the Banda da Escola de Artes e Ofícios, founded in 1921; the Banda Recreio Mocidade Funchalense, established in the next year; the Fanfarra Portada de Santo António, founded on November 9th 1924; the Filarmónica Academia Musical Instrução e Recreio (Banda Recreio dos Trabalhadores since 1942), started on December 1st 1933. In Campanário are referenced the Filarmónica Recreio Artístico do Campanário, active between 1903/7 and the end of the 1920’s/1930’s; after its extinction a new band was created in 1938, being unknown its period of activity. In Santa Cruz, the wind ensembles União Fraternal Recreativa Santacruzense and Sociedade Capricho Santacruzense, active in 1906, ceased their activity during the first quarter; in 1946 a new band emerged, along with the existing Banda Municipal de Santa Cruz. In Ribeira Brava, the “new music” Filarmónica União Musical Ribeirabravense was active between 1912 and the 1950’s; in 1963 there was a new second band of the municipality, entitled Banda Recreio Musical Ribeirabravense, whose activity had its end in 1970. In Machico, a new band was founded in 1920. In Calheta, the Filarmónica União Calhetense was created in 1923, being unknown its date of termination; in 1940, a new wind collectivity was started at that village, whose period of activity is uncertain. Finally, we mention the Banda Recreio Musical da Casa do Povo da Serra d’ Água, active between 1998 and 2000, and the Orquestra de Sopros do Conservatório – Escola Profissional das Artes da Madeira – Eng. Luís Peter Clode, between 1998 and 2007.
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(i) Order 7/2/1852. It is plausible to suggest the relationship (or at least influence) of the fourth band of amateurs with the institution of the Filarmónica Artístico Funchalense.
(ii) Our knowledge of the musical groups created between the earlier nineteenth century and the last decades of tweentieth-century is due to the excelente work carried out by Manuel Pedro Freitas, especially the article published in A Madeira e a Música 2008: 401-513).
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Bibliography
BINDER, Fernando Pereira 2006 Bandas Militares no Brasil: difusão e organização entre 1808-1889, Masters Dissertation, Universidade Estadual Paulista.
CARITA, Rui & SOUSA E MELLO, Luís Francisco de 1988 100 anos do Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias – 11 de Março 1888 – 1988, Funchal: Editorial Eco do Funchal.
ESPOSITO, Francesco 2008 La vita concertística lisboeta dell’Ottocento: 1822-1853, Dissertação de Doutoramento, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa.
FREITAS, Manuel Pedro da Silva 2008 “Grupos Musicais Madeirenses entre 1850 e 1974” in Manuel MORAIS (coord.), A Madeira e a Música. Estudos (c. 1508-c. 1974), Funchal: Empresa Municipal “Funchal 500 Anos”, pp. 401-513.
HERBERT, Trevor 1977 “Brass bands and other vernacular brass traditions” in Trevor HERBERT & John WALLACE, The Cambridge Companion to brass instruments, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
PEREIRA, Eduardo C.N. 1989 Ilhas de Zargo, 2 volumes, Funchal: Câmara Municipal do Funchal.
SARDINHA, Vítor & CAMACHO, Rui 2001 Rostos e Traços das Bandas Filarmónicas Madeirenses, Funchal: Associação Musical e Cultural Xarabanda & Direcção Regional dos Assuntos Culturais. 2005 Noites da Madeira, Funchal: Diário de Notícias da Madeira.
Periodical Press
O Defensor
O Madeirense
A Ordem
A Voz do Povo
A Flor do Oceano
Diário de Notícias da Madeira
O Direito