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Undated Book Of Poetry, Songs, And Sheet Music, Marie-Jeanne Laurendeau

Marie-Jeanne Laurendeau

Undated book of poetry, songs, and sheet music written by Marie-Jeanne Laurendeau in French and English.

Songbook 2, Thérèse Laurendeau

Thérèse Laurendeau

Songbook compiled by Thérèse Laurendeau, undated. Text in French.

Songbook 1, Thérèse Laurendeau

Thérèse Laurendeau

Songbook compiled by Thérèse Laurendeau, undated. Text in French.

Summer 1993, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG program guide for Summer 1993.

Spring 1993, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Spring 1993.

Winter 1992-1993, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide Winter 1992-1993

Brochure 1988, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

Promotional brochure, 1988.

Summer 1988, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Summer 1988.

Summer 1987, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Summer 1987

Winter/Spring 1986, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Winter/Spring 1986

Summer 1984, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Summer 1984,

Fall 1983, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Fall 1983.

Holy Parish Family Choir Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

The Holy Family Parish Choir, directed by Roland M. Roy, performed at the 100th anniversary of the Sisters of Charity held at SS. Peter and Paul Church. Diane J. Biron was the organist.

Roland M. Roy was director of the Holy Family Parish Choir for 15 years until 1989. He organized workshops for Maine parish choir directors and recorded an album. With accompanist Diane J. Biron, he produced cantatas and concerts composed Masses and psalms performed by the choir.

Diane J. Biron served as organist and choir director for 5 years at St. Mary’s Parish and, for 15 years, as …

Maurice Gagnon Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Ethnomusicologist Bau Graves has written about Maurice Gagnon (1927-1973): “Maurice Gagnon is remembered as a dynamic performer by those who him play. At the age of ten, he was already an ace harmonica player and could attract an audience and earn money playing in clubs. He played a repertoire of jigs and reels and also composed a number of tunes some of which he recorded as 45’s and one LP album. These recordings, released between 1964 and 1970, are a historical scarcity: only a relative handful of disks of traditional Maine Franco-American music have ever been available to the public.”

The Mountain Dews Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Chuck Frechette, Bill Beauchesne, and Marcel Larrivee [L to R] have performed together since 1965. They began playing for Le Club Musicale Literaire, and after adding more members, became The Mountain Dews. Their repertoire includes western and bluegrass music. Bill first heard a bass washtub on the Ted Mack Amateur Radio Hour. He figured out how to make one and how to play it. Bill was 12 when he got together with a group of neighborhood friends playing guitar, harmonica, and washboard. Their gigs included bean suppers in church basements. Other members of the Mountain Dews have been Roland Boileau, …

The Guitar Class Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

In the 1960’s, church services experimented with folk masses. As part of her responsibilities as music teacher at Our Lady of the Rosary School in Sabattus, Marie Jeanne Laurendeau (center) organized folk masses. She learned guitar chords along with her other students. Eddie LaGrange was the instructor. Two other adults, Roger Cadrin and Sister Rita Pelletier, studied with the class.

La Fanfare Montagnard (The Montagnard Band) Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

This was one of many bands in the St. Jon’s Day parade in Lewiston. The Dewitt Hotel near City Hall was considered a local landmark.

The Dominican Band regrouped in 1939 under the auspices of The Montagnard Club, a well-known Lewiston snowshoe club, and was renamed La Fanfare Montagnard. The band played in parades and at social functions around the state.

The Pastime Snowshoe Club Drum And Bugle Corps Photograph, 1948-49, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

This parade for a snowshoe festival in Lewiston’s Kennedy Park, shows an ice palace in the background. Bert Dutil is in the front row playing the glockenspiel. Bert Dutil, his grandfather Louis Sr. (“Pitou”), father Armand, and uncles Raymond and Louis Jr. Were known as “The Snowshoe Family” for their involvement in the International Snowshoe Union. The three sons of Pitou formed a drum and bugle corps associated with the Pastime Social Club (Le passe Temps) in Lewiston. The Pastime Drum and Bugle Corp was the first to introduce the glockenspiel and color guard. Bert Dutil, who joined the snowshoe …

Les Petits Chanteurs De St. Pierre Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

c.1948-1949

L'Orpheon Lewiston City Hall Photograph, 1947-1948, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Alexis J. Cote is a celebrated music director who taught in the Lewiston school system for over 20 years and later as the director of the vocal music program in the Portland school system for over 15 years. He was the choral director and church organist at St. Louis Parish in New auburn and organist and choir director at the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland. Since 1940, he has served a director of L’Orpheon. The group continues to perform programs in French, English, and Latin.

Row 1: Maurice Champoux, Conrad Doucette, Gilbert, (unidentified), Gerard Lajoie, Roland Mutty, …

1946 Festival De La Bonne Chanson Program, L'Association Des Vigilants

Festival de la Bonne Chanson

Program booklet from the May 5, 1946 Festival de la Bonne Chanson in Lewiston, Maine, the 10th anniversary.

1940 Festival De La Bonne Chanson Program, L'Association Des Vigilants

Festival de la Bonne Chanson

Program booklet from the May 19, 1940 Festival de la Bonne Chanson in Lewiston, Maine.

Three Children With Instruments Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

c. 1940

Sylvia And Rosaire Roy, Wcou Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Sylvia Roy, born in Stratford Center, Canada, has played the piano since she was seven years old and is mostly self-taught having learned by listening to other family members. Sylvia and Rosaire performed around the state doing popular music, jigs, waltzes, and jitterbug styles at weddings, anniversaries, social functions, and for 13 years, at the American Legion in Lisbon. Sylvia continues to perform for private and public occasions.

L to R: Julie Vallee, Rosaire Labbe, Sylvia Roy (seated), Albert Cyr, Rosaire Roy.

Courtesy of Sylvia Roy; copy print by Jere DeWaters.

Cast Of L’Orpheon’S Production Of L’Amour A Bord, (H.M.S Pinafore) Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

The operetta was translated from English to French by J.B Couture and presented by Le Club Musicale Literaire. The English version appealed to couture, but there was no French translation. He worked on the translation for a year and a half.

L to R: Yvonne Reny, Jeanne Hebert, Charlotte Michaud, Zephirine Poulin, Leciennce Lavoie, Harmonia Halle, Rosilda Halle, Yvonne Halle, Yvette Couture Hasham, Irma Ferland, Bernadette Desjardins, Marie Guilbeault.

Franco-American Heritage Collection; copy print by Jere DeWaters.

La Fanfare Ste Cecile (Ste. Cecilia’S Band) Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Ste. Cecilia’s Band was founded in 1897 by the Dominican Lay Brother Aymon under the auspices of L’Association St Dominique. As a boys band, members were accepted from the ages of seven. The band produced many accomplished musicians who went to perform locally with the Dominican Band as well as pursuing professional music careers. In 1947, the band became the Montagnard Band.

First row, L to R: Charles Dube, Victor Vaillancourt, Osias Gagnon, Josaphat Morin, Albert Christman, Elmo Tremblay, J. Dauphin, Eudene Bazinet.

Second row, L to R: M. Cailler, Armand Poliquin, Charles Gagne, Lucien Lebel, Eustache N. Giguere (later …

The Dominican Band Photograph, 1925-1926, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

The Dominican Band (Fanfare de l’Association Saint-Dominique) began in 1894. Under the direction of Louis N. Gendreau, they had their first public engagement at Lewiston’s centennial celebration in 1895, and became popular doing “promenade concerts” at Lewiston City Hall. For new members, the band relied on the expert training of boys in the Ste. Cecelia Band. In the late 30’s, the Montagnard Club assumed direction of the band, renaming it La Fanfare Montagnard.

Row 1: Henri Jalbert, John Toutain, Joseph Dumais (Director), Wilfred Boucher, George Dumais, Romeo McGraw, Joseph Beaudette.

Row 2: Charles McGraw, Lucien Beaudette, Nadeau, Fournier, Desire Daqmin, …

Carroll Poulin (3 Months Old) With Father Joseph Poulin Photograph, Franco-American Collection

Franco-American Music Traditions Exhibit

Joseph Poulin, an accomplished musician, was a violinist with the Portland Symphony and director of St. Peter's Choir. Carroll Poulin founded Carroll's School and Music Center 50 years ago and has given music lessons for brass, reed, and string instruments (50-65 per week) to countless adults and children in the community. His son, Carroll, Jr., now owns the store.

Carroll played his first dance job when he was 16 and later went on to have his own dance band, "Carroll Poulin and his Orchestra," performing at pavilions, city hall, and school dances at the Lewiston Armory. He maintains an extensive …