While digging through an old box, I came across the newspaper clipping shown in the image below. In it, the article documented in my hometown newspaper, the Fostoria Review Times, the fanfare trumpets’ participation in Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the United States in July 1976. A small contingent of Bandies was called back to perform on the grand staircase inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The text of the article that follows also describes how the fanfare trumpets came to be a part of the VFMA Band. But the arrival of the fanfare trumpets at VF is just part of the story. (Ignore the paragraph about that weirdo Wolfe kid.)
“There was a touch of England and Fostoria, in the welcome staged for Queen Elizabeth on her recent visit to Philadelphia.
The English touch came from the coronation fanfare trumpets played by Valley Forge Military Academy and Junior College cadets.
The Fostoria flavor was added by Daniel J. Wolfe, of 1706 Walnut Street, a member of the fanfare group and second trombonist of the Valley Forge Band. He held the rank of second lieutenant and drum major of the band.
Fanfare trumpets, which were used at the coronation of the Queen, were specially designed in 1930 by the director of music of the Royal Military School of Music, England in consultation with the music firm of Boosey and Hawkes, London. The aim was to produce a majestic fanfare tone with instruments of varying pitches, yet of uniform visual length.
They were introduced at Valley Forge in Wayne, Pa. in 1953 by Colonel D. Keith Feltham, a graduate of the Royal Military School of Music.
The eight original fanfare instruments were presented to the band by Lt. Gen. Milton G. Baker, who was then superintendent of Valley Forge. In 1965 the Pennsylvania National Horse Show Association presented an additional three trumpets after the Valley Forge Band made its 17th consecutive performance at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.
The introduction of these instruments in the United States constituted a ‘musical first’ for Valley Forge.”
You can listen to all the fanfares on the site on our Fanfares playlist page.
Thanks Dan for the article. Brings back memories for all of us from the Duke Band era.
The last three trumpets were presented at the Horse Show in 1965, my plebe year. The group of now eleven played “Fanfare for Heroes” to open the show. Those same eleven are pictured on the back of the album “Old Comrades” and they play that fanfare. The eleven from left to right in the picture are John Hoffman, Jake Conrad, Chris Burton, Dave Detwiler, Bill Hoyer, Jim May, Craig Randall, Bill Daggett, Bob Scannapieco, Ben Hackman, and Dave Llewellyn. Some fine musicians in that group.
Dan, thanks for sharing this. I have great memories playing the fanfares with you, Jeff and many others (’72-’75). That was a special group. Sorry I missed the Queen
Any recordings of the Fanfare Trumpets other than at the Penna Horse show????
Just what’s on the site. There’s a couple of recordings of the fan for trumpets on the various albums that are stored in there. Go to the front page, and use the search bar for the word fanfare. You’ll probably find something pop up that way.
Enjoy the day!