Madam & Miss Will Shake Their Heels Abroad: In Search of America’s First Concert (episode 264)

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Transcript

Music

Jake:
[0:05] Welcome to hub history where we go far beyond the freedom trail to share our favorite stories from the history of boston, the hub of the universe, this is episode 264 madam and Miss will shake their heels abroad.
Hi, I’m jake. This week. I’m going in search of the first concert ever to be performed in what’s now the United States.
Why was Boston resistant to the idea of a concert until almost 60 years after they became commonplace in our ancestral city of London?
When did puritan boston relax its rules and customs? Enough to allow for public performances of secular music.
Who brought the idea of charging for admission to a musical performance to colonial boston and what artistic legacy did he leave behind here?
Let’s dig into the historical record and see how many of those questions we can answer.
But before we go in search of the first concert in America, it’s time for a word from the sponsor of this week’s podcast,
boston’s best dog walkers and pet services is a full service pet care company that offers walking boarding, grooming training and much more.
I’ve been mostly working at home since March of 2020. So Duke my almost 14 year old dog and credited senior podcast producer.
Well, he’s gotten very used to having me around the house most of the time.

[1:30] He’s had a few serious health issues lately. So when I actually do have to spend a day in the office, I worry a lot about leaving him alone.
It’s a real relief to have a reliable dog walking service to fill in the gaps while I’m gone.
Whether that means taking him for a walk around the neighborhood when he’s having a good day or just sitting quietly with him for a while when he’s feeling under the weather,
Whether you’re a local, it needs some coverage for date night or a visitor staying in a boston hotel with a furry companion.
Boston’s best dog walkers has you covered?
They can tailor the right day for your pop whether that means going on an adventure while you get out and explore boston’s many historic sites or just letting your dog out in the backyard while you’re at dinner,
visit boston’s best dog walkers dot com to learn more and enter promo code hub history for special services and discounts for hub history listeners.
That’s boston’s best dog walkers dot com. And use promo code hub history,
Boston’s best dog walkers have served the entirety of downtown in East Boston for the past 12 years and are highly rated by residents and tourists alike.
Boston’s best dog walkers dot com. Your pet needs company too.
And now it’s time for this week’s main topic.

[2:50] About 100 and 15 years ago, one of the most influential american musicologists wrote about the history of concerts in America.
And in his book, he set forth convincing evidence that the first concert ever held in what’s now the U. S. Was held here in boston in his 1907 book.
Early concert life in America Oscar G sonic traced, quote, the first public concert, which admission was given by way of payment to a London tavern on december 30th 16 72.
And then he went in search of the first such concert that was given in the United States. Writing The first concert recorded in our colonial papers, was advertised in the Boston Weekly Newsletter of December 16 of 1731.
But this does not necessarily imply that it was the first given.
Also, a bare possibility remains that concerts might have been advertised in such earlier numbers of this weekly, founded in 1704 as seemed to be lost forever.
However, undoubtedly Boston’s concert life dates back to at least 1731 and everything considered this is quite early.

[4:01] The evidence he found in that December 1731 edition of the Boston Newsletter is an advertisement that said,
on this day, being the 30th of december instant, there will be performed a concert of music on sundry instruments at Mr Pelham Great Room, being the house of the late dr Oliver Noyes near the Sun Tavern,
Tickets to be delivered at the place of performance at five shillings each.
The concert, to begin exactly at 6:00, and no tickets will be delivered after five the day of the performance.

[4:35] Coincidentally December 30 would be exactly 59 years after the first London concert, that sonic found evidence of,
With 1731 falling in the middle of the little ice age December 30 was probably pretty chilly six p.m.
Was after dark, so the Pelham is probably had a fire going in the fireplace of their great room to help cut the chill carried by the wind off Boston Harbor just a few feet away.
In the 1997 article about the earliest known concert in boston, Henry Woodward helps us pinpoint the location of mr Pelham great room at the house of the late dr Noyes,
as two Peter Pelham great room in the house of the late dr Noyes Noyes had been a prominent citizen and a selectman for several years before his death in 17 21.
His house is shown on the plan of Dock Square circa 17 32.
As on the south side of the marketplace just off Dock Square and in full view of the Sun Tavern.

[5:40] In the show notes this week, I’ll include a detailed plan of Dock Square from the 17 thirties, showing the Noyes house, as well as a cheap reference copy of the 17 22 Bonner map of boston that will help us locate the first concert within modern boston,
as far as I can tell.
Peter Pelham great room was probably just about where the Abercrombie and Fitch at Quincy market is today.

[6:05] The reference to the concert is taking place at Noyes house makes sense.
As Peter Pelham appears to have never owned a property of his own in boston Andrew Oliver in this case, a biographer of Peter Pelham and not the unpopular lieutenant governor of colonial massachusetts.
Notes, a search of the registry of deeds for Suffolk county fails to reveal any dealings by Pelham in real property within the county at any time during his life.

[6:35] Now, it’s hard to be sure what musical compositions might have been performed at Pelham 1731 concert.
Certainly, there seems to be no evidence that Pelham himself was a significant composer.
This would have been before Mozart Beethoven and a lot of the composers we know best were even born.
And at that time, even johann Sebastian bach was an up and comer.
Some of the most popular composers at that time included Fresco, Baldi, Marchand and Johann Paco Bell, so pieces by any of them could have been played at Pelham is great room in 1731.

[7:13] In fact, it’s even possible that johann Pachelbel’s son, carl or Charles as he was known by english speakers might have been one of the performers on that fateful day, It’s a bit of a long shot.
But in the 1997 essay about the rediscovery of a lost composition by Charles Paco Bell, Joseph Butler wrote,
Although the first reference to Charles in the new world comes in 1730 for it is generally assumed that he arrived in the American colonies in the early 1730s,
he might have been in America even sooner if he had traveled with his brother.
Apparently, he first settled in boston with the name Charles Theodore paco bell.
Well, he preferred this spelling with two L’s. We find several american versions of his surname perch evil, partial bell, Packable, etcetera.
It is quite likely that Charles was in Boston in 1731 when Peter Pelham hosted what’s considered to be the first concert of secular music in America.
Unfortunately, the newspaper announcement does not mention the names of any performers.
Nevertheless, and later, the subsequent nine year apprenticeship of Peter Pelham the third with Charles paco bell.
It is tempting to conclude that paco Bell performed in this early boston concert.

[8:36] This is very speculative, but if the longshots true,
and Charles paco Bell played at Peter Pelham debut concert in boston, it’s possible that his father’s most famous arrangement, the Canon and D might have been on the playbill that night.
It would be uniquely appropriate for the first performance of johann Pachelbel’s Canon to have taken place in boston since the first recording of the piece was by Arthur Fiedler in 1940 while Fiedler was the conductor of the boston Pops.

Music

Jake:
[9:19] Sonic’s assertion that the performance of Pelham great room on december 30th 17 31 was the first concert in America has been widely accepted for over 100 and 10 years now.
But how accurate is it?

[9:34] First of all, we have to define what we mean by a concert.
Starting from sonic’s own description, we can agree that a concert must be a musical performance.
It must be open to the public and admission should generally be gained by paying a fee on top of that. We can add that a concert is generally accepted to be a secular performance.
So, a church service with music or singing can’t really be counted as a concert. No matter how aggressively the collection plate gets passed.

[10:07] The english puritans who settled in boston and all around New England had no problem with sacred music.
From the earliest days of english colonization, they incorporated music into their church services.
In fact, the first book that was ever published in british north America was the 16 40 bay psalm book, which arranged verses from the biblical songs to be sung in church.

[10:32] That use of music and worship did not however translate to a love of music outside of church.
As you can see in Boston’s reaction when Frances, Stephanie attempted to start teaching music and dance in Boston in 1685.

[10:47] Samuel Sewell’s diary injury from november 12th of that year, illustrate Tell Stephanie immediately angered his new puritan neighbors by holding dance class on Thursdays when the devout were supposed to go to lecture.

[11:01] The ministers of this town come to the court and complain against a dancing master who seeks to set up here and half mixed dances, and his time of meeting his lecture day.
And tis reported, he should say that by one play he could teach more divinity than Mr Willard of the old testament.
Mr moody said, Twas not time for New England to dance.
Mr Mather struck at the Root, speaking against mixed dances.

[11:30] Later that year, Mr increase Mather published a pamphlet titled An Arrow against profane and promiscuous dancing drawn out of the quiver of the scriptures, Which pretty much sums up where public opinion on music and dancing stood.
In 1685, the next february Stephanie was fined £100 for N Sewell’s opinion speaking blasphemous words, and in july of 16 86 he fled the colony before the debt could be collected.

[12:01] Early editions of the Bay Psalm book contained instructions for how to sing the arrangements within.
They didn’t contain actual musical notation until 1698.
The book never included a score or instructions for instrumental accompaniment for the psalms, but it’s clear that instruments were incorporated either from the beginning or not long thereafter,
Henry Wilder Foots 1939 History of music in 18th century boston clarifies that the puritan rejection of secular music and dancing did not extend to all music writing.
It’s recorded by Edward Winslow, that the pilgrims at the time of their departure from Holland sang very well.
We have no similar report of the puritans, but they came from England at a time when that country was just passing out of a great musical epic.
There’s not the slightest reason to believe that the men and women of the first migration were any different from the people they left behind and their fondness for music or in their ability to perform it.

[13:04] Foot combed through historical sources from the late 16 hundreds and very early 17 hundreds cataloging a great number of musical instruments owned by prominent citizens of boston and the surrounding communities,
apparently by this time playing music in private, was accepted,
notably several ministers owned violins or viola’s, though there was not yet widespread acceptance of instruments to accompany the singing of psalms during worship.
His research also highlights the division between puritan beliefs about instrumental music and the growing influence of the Anglican church, which didn’t have as many restrictions in this next passage.
Keep in mind that King’s chapel was, the Anglican Church was established by the despised Governor Edmund Andrews, while the brattle square church was intended as 1/4 puritan congregation for the growing town,
The earliest organ in the colonies of which there’s any certain record is the one imported into Boston by Thomas Brattle, not later than early in 1711,
On May 29 of that year, Reverend Joseph Green noted in his diary,
I was at Mr thomas Prattles heard the organs and saw strange things in a microscope.

[14:22] It may be observed that Green, though a puritan minister had no objection to listening to Mr battles organs in a private house, though he would not have thought it suitable for use in a church.
In 1713, Brattle died and bequeathed his organ to the Brattle Square Church of which had been one of the founders,
or should the church refuse it to King’s chapel with the further proviso that the church which accepted the organ should procure a sober person that could play skillfully there on with a loud noise.
The brattle square congregation declined the gift, and did not install an organ until near the end of the century, so the instrument went to King’s Chapel.
The article by Henry Woodward introduces us to the sober person that can play skillfully with a loud Noyes who became the first organist for King’s Chapel,
and his reference to Sonic’s work reinforces how influential that earlier musicologists work was.

[15:24] The vestry of King’s chapel, in 1714, instructed their agent in approaching,
Edward Winston to offer a salary of £30 per annum, which with other advantages as to dancing music, etc, we doubt not, will be sufficient encouragement.
Instant accepted the organists post, and did operate a dancing school to supplement his salary.
Sonic gives a brief account of his troubles with the Selectmen, who refused him a license to teach music and dancing.

[15:55] The years following instance, arrival in boston and the introduction of his dancing school, saw an increase in the acceptance of secular music in boston.
In 1716, Samuel Sewall wrote in his diary, May 23.
Council dine in the council chamber, many invited, so that three tables were filled, had no music, though the Lieutenant Governor promised it.

[16:22] Sewell, who we’ve introduced in past episodes as a puritan puritan makes many references in his diary to musical performances at weddings and meals with prominent leaders of the province.
But those were all private performances. What we’d refer to as chamber music and not what we’d call a public concert.
Sewell himself did attend a public concert as early as february 16 89 but that was when he was in England on province business by 17 16.
Musical performance in boston was creeping closer to what we’d consider to be a concert with Sewell’s Diary.
For november 29th. Recording Mr Webb preached after lecture.
Mr. Well, steven, Captain Wadsworth acquainted Mr Brumfield and me that a ball was designed, for instance, in the evening prayed us to prevent the governor being there accordingly in the closet.
Captain Belcher, Mr Brownfield and I speak to the governor, and at last his excellency promised us not to be there so Edward Instant had the good sense not to hold a dancing school that would conflict with a thursday lecture.
Instead scheduling his ball for after lecture.
He also had the good sense to work with prominent puritans to make sure they wouldn’t be too insulted by his actions.

[17:41] Importantly, as an agent of the Anglican church instant was exempt from the restrictions on music and dancing.
The puritan authorities would have enforced on their own parishioners Footnotes that church music went through a revival at the turn of the 18th century,
first, to the growth of singing schools, which were supported by the ministers and then through the growing acceptance of instruments to accompany them.

[18:08] By this time, even the dour Samuel Sewell’s home contained an instrument with a few references in his diaries to getting his wife’s harpsichord repaired Along these lines. Foot rights.
We have noted the presence in Boston of the Harpsichord belonging to Samuel Sewell’s wife before 1700.
Certainly, from this time on, there must have been a steady increase of musical instruments in 1716.
Edward Winston, the recently imported organist of King’s Chapel, advertised in the Boston News letter of April 16.

[18:43] This is to give notice that there’s lately sent over from London.
A choice collection of instruments consisting of fragile.
It’s kind of like today’s recorders or 10 whistles, flutes, hot boys, which is the word for an oboe-based goals, or viola’s,
violins, bows, strings, reeds for hot boys, books of instruction for all these instruments and books of ruled paper,
to be sold at the Dancing School of Mr instant in Sudbury Street, near the orange tree boston node.
Any person may have all instruments of music mended or virginal and spin.
It’s which were two forms of harpsichord strung and tuned at a reasonable rate,
and likewise may be taught to play on any of these instruments above mentioned dancing taught by a true and easier method than has been here. 24.

[19:41] Obviously a man does not advertise to tune virginal and spin. It’s in a community where such instruments do not exist, nor does he set up a music shop unless there’s some demand for his wares.

[19:54] So by the 17 teens or 20’s, attitudes in Boston were rapidly shifting toward acceptance of music and dancing.
And it was into this changing Boston that the Pelham family moved in about.
It was into this changing Boston that the Pelham family moved in about 1727.
Family Patriarch Peter was skilled in the relatively new art of measat in engraving.
He was accompanied to Boston by two sons and a wife and another son was born soon after their arrival.
Then about 30 years old Peter, Pelham childhood is something of a close book, but biographer Andrew Oliver notes that his father was likely a gentleman who may have fallen on hard times writing.
It is not unlikely that young Peter received the education and absorbed something of the manners and department of a gentleman,
But his father appears to have been anything but well to do, and in 1713 Peter, age 16 was apprentice to John Simon, one of London’s leading engravers in Mezzo Tinto.

[20:59] Simon’s fortunate association with Sir Godfrey Neller afforded the young apprentice ready access to the best portraits of the day for his models.
He profited by the exposure, learned his art well, and between 1720 and 1726 is known to have produced at least 25 message tint portraits of the highest quality of prominent persons of the day,
But not even London could support all the artists and engravers of the day, many of whom were obliged to turn their hands to other activities.
There was probably for this reason, as well as others that occasion whispers of family disagreement, that Pelham left London for the new country sometime in 1726 or 1727, and by 1727 was settled in Boston.
We must remember that at this time the only means of reproducing portraits was by engraving, that of all the forms of engraving. The message tint was best adapted to produce light, shadow depth in a matter closest to painting.
In boston a principal town of the new world. Pelham had reason to hope for a market for his message engravings,
but there were not always subjects at hand, whose prominence and popularity would assure a market sufficient to make hesitant reproduction of their portraits profitable.

[22:20] Upon his arrival in boston Pelham began playing his trade almost immediately, and he selected one of the most influential Bostonians in history, as the subject for his first North american meso tint.
In a 2021 paper about Pelham artistic career, Philip Jacobs wrote,
One of his earliest associations was with the elderly divine Cotton Mather, whom Pelham painted shortly after his arrival in 1727, and who became the subject of his first and perhaps most notable.
American measat tint shortly after the death of Mather in 1728.
Pelham sales of this hesitant were a big success and there can be little doubt that this contact led to many others and further his niece and american printmaking business.

[23:07] Hesitant engraving at least at that time, was mostly used to reproduce a painted portrait for mass distribution.
The implication is that Pelham worked from paintings, and in an 1867 discussion of his work, William Whitmore concluded that he was the original artist as well.

[23:25] The earliest work we have yet traced to Pelham as is engraved portrait of the Reverend Cotton Mather dated 1727.
It’s inscribed p Pelham atv even pinks it aboriginal facet at exude.
This is a distinct claim to his execution of a painted portrait and in the library of the american antiquarian society at worcester, among the other family portraits of the Mathers is an oil painting which corresponds with the engraving.
Not only are the accessories the same, but the portraits reversed in the engraving, as if the artist copied it upon the copper as it stood before him.

[24:05] If that conclusion is true, then Peter Pelham was a portraitist and engraver, as well as a musical pioneer, truly a multi talented artist and one who was able to leverage his skills into a profitable career in boston.
At a time when membership in boston’s most prominent churches required congregants to pay for a pew, Andrew. Oliver points out that Pelham could afford the cash buy in.

[24:33] In the minutes of the vestry of King’s Chapel for february 27th 17 30 we find that it was voted that Mr Peter Pelham have the pew in the North Gallery formerly Mr job Lewis said.
Peter Pelham paying £20 for the same louis acquired a better pew and shortly became organist and dark of the vestry.
In the meantime, to support his family, Pelham had to turn his hand elsewhere, meaning other than hesitance.
The records of the Superior Court of judicature for Suffolk County revealed that in 17 30 Pelham describing himself as dancing master brought suit against one Benjamin indica bookbinder for failure to pay.
What must have been the then equivalent of today’s tuition on default of the defendant.
Although solemnly called to come into the court, the court granted judgment to the plaintiff for £3.10 shillings, together with costs taxed at £2.09 shillings and nine pence.
And on June 21 John Darryl Deputy Sheriff, returned the writ endorsed by virtue of this writ, I attached the defaults body and have taken his bond.

[25:51] Presumably Pelham was paid, and we’ve been furnished with the knowledge that by 1730 he was already running a dancing school and with some clue as to how much he charged for instruction.

[26:03] So like Edward instant Peter Pelham was a member of the Anglican King’s Chapel, and thus outside the social control of the puritan church.
By this time the new charter that was issued by William and mary had separated the church from the government of the colony.
So puritan elders didn’t have legal authority over non members.
And the church itself was well into a period of transformation when it wasn’t really that puritan anymore.
Anyway, this more permissive environment in boston led to the rise of dancing schools and private musical performances and Henry Wilder foot argues that it also led to the first public performance of secular music.
The growing interest in instrumental music naturally led to the giving of concerts.
It should be remembered that public concerts of instrumental music were unknown in England.
At the time of the first migration to massachusetts, There was orchestral music at court and music loving amateurs in places like London and Oxford gathered to play Chamber Music,
but concerts to which the public was admitted for a price, did not come in into the late 17th century,
and were held first in London taverns.
Boston was probably not many years behind the majority of English provincial towns of the same size. When the first concert was advertised in the Boston News letter of December 16, 1731.

[27:30] Of course. While the culture in Boston was becoming more permissive by the 1730s, there must have been throwback conservatives who didn’t improve something as progressive as a public musical performance.

[27:44] To represent these conservatives.
Many articles about Pelham concert reproduce a piece from the boston gazette that was published several months after that first concert, it’s pretty long, but I’m going to read the whole piece and then we’ll talk about it.

[28:01] The following observation should have been inserted in last monday’s gazette, but came too late for press.
Yet I hope not too late to prevent the growth of an evil too dangerous to be overlooked by any person who has either a value for religion or love for his country,
passing by the townhouse, meaning the old State House.
On saturday the 11th of this month a piece of paper was slipped into my hand, giving notice of an entertainment of music and drawing,
called by the fashionable name of an assembly, to be held at Mr Pelham Dancing School on the thursday following, and which entertainment, as I’m informed, is to be repeated monthly for the benefit of gentlemen and ladies!

[28:46] I could not read this advertisement without being startled and concerned at the birth of so formidable a monster in this part of the world,
and I began to consider what could give encouragement to so licentious and expensive a diversion, and a town famous for its decency and good order.
And at a time when poverty is coming upon us like an armed man, when our trade is daily decreasing, and our debts and poor multiplying upon us!
Does the tranquility of our affairs at home, or the unusual success of our commerce invite us to new pleasures and expenses!
When we look back upon the transactions of our forefathers, and read the wonderful story of their godly zeal their pious resolution, and their public virtues?
How should we blush and lament our present corruption of manners and decay of our religion and civil discipline.
They laid the foundation of their country and piety and in sanctity of life.
This was building upon a rock, and by the blessings of God, they flourished exceedingly became the astonishment and envy of their neighbors.

[29:52] Magistrates then discharge their duty with diligence and fidelity and vice and irregularities were carefully watched and cropped in the bud.

[30:01] Then we’re their sons of virtuous and industrious race, and their daughters rich in a modest frugal and religious education.
But this their posterity are too delicate to follow these sober rules.
And wise maxims, and crying out for music balls and assemblies like Children for their balls and rattles as if our riches flowed in so fast upon us that we wanted ways to dispose of them.
Whereas it is too well known how our extravagance in apparel and luxury at our tables are hastening the ruin of our country, and our evils, which call loudly for a remedy in vain.
Will our legislature provide wholesome laws to suppress this epidemic?
Profuse nous in vain. Will our ministers preach charity, moderation and humility to an audience whose thoughts are engaged in scenes of splendor and magnificence, and whose time and money are consumed in dress and dancing,
in vain!
While masters secure their treasures.
The fruit of long toil and industry with locks and bolts, while their wives and daughters are invited to balls and assemblies,
where a great part of the pleasure consists in being gazed at and applauded for the richness of their clothes and the elegance of their fancy.
This is laying a foundation of pride, vein. Emulation, envy and practicality.

[31:24] Time was when our maidens were the desire of all countries that had any dealings with us.
And though their fortunes were small, yet their minds were humble.

[31:35] If we should now feed their pride and extravagances without enlarging their portions, we may perhaps dispose some of them to inconsiderate lovers,
but woe be to the man to whose lot they fall they will be a moth in their estates, and a bane to their happiness.

[31:54] These and many more mischief is too tedious to mention fatal to modesty and virtue, and expensive to families will be the pernicious consequence of tolerating such assemblies,
and their mischief, so which demand a general remedy by the interposition of public authority,
for what single person, though ever so prudent or stout hearted durst deny a beloved wife for favorite daughter.
The liberty of a pleasure indulged to all their neighbors and acquaintances.
And if Madam and Miss are not suffered to shake their heels abroad, they will make the house and family shake at home.
Henry Woodward refers to this article as a miniature sermon, and says it’s worth quoting in its entirety as a reflection of the times, and for its no doubt sincere statement of the old ideals.

[32:48] However, I think Andrew Oliver hits closer to home when he writes on at least two occasions, this satire was cited in all seriousness as an instance of public censure of such assemblies.
An interpretation which, to my mind can only be explained by supposing the writers had not read the last two sentences.

[33:10] After all, what dour puritan would pin a front page essay against dancing, then turn around, and excuse it by saying that no man would dare to die wives and daughters, the pleasure of dancing,
and that the threat of making the house and family shake at home.
No, that’s satire if I’ve ever read it.

[33:31] Clearly, this front page criticism was not enough to stop Pelham musical ambitions.
Oliver’s biography fills in some of the details of his personal life from about this time, as well as how his musical pursuits unfolded after his 1st 1731 concert.

[33:50] At about this time. Pelham is first wife Martha died, leaving him three sons.
Peter born in London in 1721 Charles in 1722, and William Born in Boston in 1729.
Her death was probably the occasion for the notice in the gazette early in 17 30 for that he was breaking up housekeeping in his house near the townhouse,
and that there were to be sold sundry sorts of household goods for cash, very cheap until 12 o’clock every morning, but not later on, account of us preparing for school in the afternoon, which he continues to keep as heretofore.
According to most accounts, it was on October 15, 1730. For that he married as his second wife, Margaret Lowery, possibly the widow of Isaac Lowry.

[34:45] By the late 1730s times were definitely changing.
In Boston, where Francis Stepney had been driven out of town in the 16 eighties, private musical performances have been quietly tolerated around the turn of the century and Edward instant.
And Peter Pelham had given music lessons under the protection of the Anglican church in the 17 teens and twenties, Peter Pelham was ready to step out of the shadows.
Henry Woodward describes how he was able to go legit,
Times were changing in Boston however, controversy over smallpox inoculations and over issuing paper money had divided the clergy as well as the town in the difficult 20s.
And by the time Peter Pelham petitioned in 1737 for permission to carry on his school including dancing.
The Selectmen granted it.
Peter Pelham was by now well known citizen, but it’s also clear that puritan ideals and the influence of the clergy had lost ground.

[35:48] An ad that ran in the boston gazette, The following february makes it clear that the now legitimized Peter Pelham continued teaching music and dancing, though he by then branched out into providing a more complete education.

[36:03] Mr Peter Pelham gives notice to all gentlemen and ladies in the town and country that at the house of Philip Morris esquire and summer street next to his own dwelling house.
Young gentlemen and ladies may be taught dancing writing, reading, painting upon class, and all sorts of needlework.

[36:23] Peter Pelham 2nd wife, Margaret eventually passed away and he was pretty quickly engaged again.
His bride to be was the widow of a boston merchant, who continued to operate the family business after her husband’s death, Andrew Oliver explains On April 25, 1748.
The marriage intentions of Pelham and Mary the widow of the Tobacconist, Richard Copley were published.
No record can be found in the death of Pelham Second wife, nor is it known when Richard Copley died, but his estate had not yet been administered In Trinity Church on May 22,
Pelham and the widow Copley were married.
She quickly sensed the needs of herself and her new husband to support their conjoined and growing families, and was only too glad to add her bit to his livelihood.
The gazette soon proclaimed that mrs mary Pelham formerly the widow Copley on the Long wharf tobacconists is removed into lindell’s row against the Quakers meetinghouse near the upper end of King Street in boston,
where she continues to sell the best Virginia tobacco,
cut pigtail and spun of all sorts by wholesale or retail at the cheapest rate.

[37:46] Pelham ran his schools and continued cranking out message tints of prominent Bostonians until the end, producing a total of 15 engraved portraits before his death in December 1751,
Andrew Oliver’s biographical essay notes, his estate must have been small, for no inventory was ever filed though on August 2nd the administrator is dutifully advertised.
All persons indebted to the estate of Mr Peter Pelham late of boston deceased are hereby requested to pay the same to marry Pelham Widow administrate tricks to set a state,
and those to whom the estate is indebted are desired to apply to the set Administrate tricks in order for a settlement.

[38:31] Though public musical performances in boston are supposed to have been born with Peter Pelham They did not die with him,
in his detailed accounting of musical life in 18th century boston, Henry foot summarizes how that life evolved in the years after Pelham,
the practice of holding concerts once established in boston went steadily forward until interrupted by the turmoil of the revolution.
Generally the proceeds went to charity after the concert of 17 40 Foreign Fanuel Hall.
The Selectmen received £205.05 shillings for the use of the poor of the town In the 1760s, there are records of private as well as of public concerts.
Sonic believes that the private or semi public concerts indicate the existence between 1761 and 1775 of a music society in Boston, which gave concerts in the concert hall with a fair degree of regularity.

[39:34] Now, the one problem with our investigation into the first American concert which was held at Peter Pelham Great Room in December 1731 is this, That was not the 1st American concert.

[39:49] Remember that quote from the musicologist Oscar O. G. Sonic where he said that this was the first concert that there’s a record for, but not necessarily the first one given.
Well, it turns out that our access to archives of colonial newspapers has gotten a lot better since he did his research in 1907.

[40:09] I’ve quoted Henry Woodward’s article about the first concert in boston a number of times, but without revealing the whole truth.
His article was published a full 90 years after Sonic’s research and woodward was not writing about the concert at Peter Pelham is great room.
Instead, his article uncovers another candidate for the first concert to be held in what’s now the United States.
This one was also held in boston nearly three years before Peter Pelham concert.
An advertisement in the addition of the Boston Gazette for February 10, 1729 announces,
this is to give notice that there will be a concert of music performed on sundry instruments at the dancing school in King Street on Tuesday the 18th instant at six o’clock in the evening,
and that tickets for the same will be delivered out at seven shillings and sixpence each ticket at the places following,
at Mr luk Vardi is at the Royal Exchange at mrs Mears at the Sun Tavern near the dock and at the place of performance.
No person to be admitted after sex.

[41:22] Organist Edward Inclusant had started training a replacement in 1723 and I think he retired from music in about 1724.
So this was probably a different dancing school than the one that he had started in 1714.
Woodward’s article looks into this early concert in some detail, but he couldn’t put a name to the dancing master of the school in King Street either.
Suffice it to say that after nearly 100 years of certainty about the first concert in America,
a more recent discovery in the archives turn that understanding on its head so we should be open to the possibility that yet another earlier concert will emerge as more colonial newspapers are digitized and archives around the country.

[42:07] Peter Pelham 1731 concert might not have been the first one held in America, but also that concert might not even be the Pelham family’s most important contribution to Boston’s musical legacy.
As we noted earlier, Peter Pelham apprenticed his young son, also named Pieter to Charles Pa Kettle Bell in about 1730 for,
the younger Peter accompanied paco bell to Newport in new york, and then on to charleston south Carolina, learning more about music theory and performance.
Along the way, Henry Foots work on music in 18th century Boston reflects on the younger Peter Pelham is returned to Boston after his apprenticeship with Paco Bell had run its course.
Peter did not return until 1743 and on May 30 of that year, modestly advertised in the Boston evening post that,
after nine years under the tuition of an accomplished professor in the art of music, he was prepared to give lessons on the Harpsichord and in the rudiments of somebody, hymns, anthems, etc.
He became the first organist of Trinity Church in Boston, where he remained until 1749, when he went to Virginia.

[43:23] Going to Virginia in 1749, as a reference to the younger Peters moved to Williamsburg, the Real Williamsburg, that is before it was reconstructed as a colonial theme park in the 20th century.
There, he installed the first organ at Bruton Parish Church and served as the organist for almost 50 years while also teaching music and dance, as well as serving as the public jailer.

[43:49] Young Peter Pelham greatest musical legacy in boston isn’t his music school. However, it’s a book that must be the earliest instructional text for music published in boston.

[44:02] H. Joseph Butler’s article about the discovery of a lost composition by Charles Paco Bell add some detail about how Pelham ended up back in Boston in 1743.
Our newly discovered work of Charles Paco Bell is found in a manuscript copy book of spin it lessens, written by Peter Pelham in Boston in 1740.
For In 1743, Pelham returned to Boston and advertised for students.
A year later, Pelham became the first organist at Trinity Church in Boston and 1749 he moved south in between his reappearance in boston and his moved to Williamsburg.
Young Peter Pelham created a handwritten book of musical notation that he would have used with the students.
Young Peter Pelham created a handwritten book of musical notation that he would have used with his students of this book.
Butler writes in general, it appears that Pelham intended for the songs in his copybook to serve as harpsichord solos if necessary.
The discovery of this new song by Charles paco Bell,
adds greatly to our knowledge of his work in America documents the ties between him and his student Peter Pelham and provides a fascinating example of how european culture bore fruit in the american colonies.

[45:24] It’s not exactly Beethoven, but this collection of hand copied musical scores was Peter’s most lasting contribution to the boston music scene.
It was not, however, the last contribution the Pelham family made Charles Pelham just a year younger than Peter, and the last of the elder Peter Pelham kids to be born in London also carried on the family tradition.
He placed an ad in the april 23rd 17 62 edition of the boston newsletter, saying Charles Pelham hereby informs all the gentlemen and ladies in town and country,
that he proposes again to open a dancing school on monday the third day of May next a concert hall,
where he will give constant attendance as usual every monday thursday and saturday in the afternoon, provided he may meet with suitable encouragement.

[46:18] A few years later Charles moved to Newton and he kept school there, including instruction and dancing,
Charles and his dancing school was not the last of the Pelham family’s artistic influence on boston, and neither the younger peter’s book nor the older Peters concert was the most lasting.
While the older Peter Pelham was teaching music and getting his oldest son apprentice to Charles paco bell.
Peter’s stepson was busy teaching his young half brother the principles of drawing and painting.
The stepson was mary Copley Pelham son john from her first marriage.
While the half brother was henri, her first son with the older Peter.

[47:01] And his biographical sketch of the elder Pelham Andrew Oliver writes,
that we should not exaggerate the influence of Pelham on Copley,
as I believe is often done it cannot,
be doubted that even the few years of his life with Pelham,
the talented school master, master of reading, writing, music, dancing, and social department, helped to make the son of the Long wharf tobacconist familiar with the ways of the well to do gentry of the day,
perhaps even gave him social aspirations and must have smoothed the social road for him when his talents placed him in such demand as the first portraitist of his day,
john Singleton Copley would, of course, going to be the namesake of Copley square and one of the most famous and talented portrait painters of the 18th century painting.
Everyone from James warren to john Hancock to sam Adams to paul revere before moving to London and really hitting it big.

[47:59] His half brother and protege, Henry Pelham learned the craft of hesitant engraving.
Henry, Pelham most famous work was an image of the boston massacre that paul revere shamelessly plagiarized for his own massacre print.
But my favorite pieces, a beautiful map of boston that Henry sketch during the siege and published after fleeing to London with the other loyalists after the british evacuated boston.
All in all a family with an incredible artistic legacy in boston and beyond.

[48:31] To learn more about the first concerts in boston. Check out this week’s show notes at hub history dot com slash 264.
I’ll include images of a page from the young peter Pelham manuscript, music book, Henry, Pelham map of boston and john singleton Copley’s portrait of Henry playing with a squirrel.
I’ll also link to an early 18th century map of the boston town dock.
That will help you locate the Noyes house where Pelham is Great Room was located As well as a geo referenced copy of the 1722 bottom map of Boston. That will help you find that Noyes house in modern Boston.
As usual, I have links to a bunch of different sources This week that will include Andrew Oliver’s Biographical Sketch of the Elder Peter Pelham Henry Foots History of Music.
In early Boston, Henry Woodward’s pursuit of an earlier concert than 1731,
joseph Butler’s work on Charles, paco, Bell sonics, history of concert life in America and Samuel Sewell’s diaries plus probably a few more.

Music

Jake:
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