Name this famous music festival based on the following clues:
It was a multi-day festival held in the northeast U.S.; many famous performers of the era appeared at the festival; the event theme was all about peace, harmony and music; the theme was an intentional statement about the terrible cost of war; the event was completely sold out; it was the world's largest music festival up to that time; "The Star Spangled Banner" was performed in a unique manner; the event included a Noble & Cooley drum with "Let Us Have Peace" painted on both sides; and, if you don't have a guess yet, here's the giveaway clue: the event occurred in '69.
If you are saying, "Woodstock! But that was way too easy so it must be a trick question" you're both wrong and right. Woodstock, wrong. Trick question? Right! 100 years before Woodstock there was the National Peace Jubilee. And it was even more spectacular in many ways.
Noble & Cooley created a massive 8' diameter drum for the National Peace Jubilee held at the new Boston Coliseum in June, 1869. The massive coliseum had been constructed specifically for the event. The purpose of the Peace Jubilee was described in the event's program as "the restoration of peace and union throughout the land" in the wake of the devastating Civil War. The program goes on to say, "It will be the greatest feast of sublime and inspiring harmony that has ever been heard in any part of the world."
As for the unique performance of "The Star Spangled Banner," in 1869 it was performed at the National Peace Jubilee by a massive chorus of over 10,000 singers. 100 years later it was performed at Woodstock by one man- Jimi Hendrix. Both performances unique in their own way, but they could not have been more different from each other.
The following Library of Congress stereopticon image shows the Noble & Cooley Peace Drum in the Coliseum hall. Each side of the drum reads, "Let Us Have Peace."
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| From Library of Congress digital collection |
"A bass-drum 'as was a bass-drum,' manufactured by Messrs. Noble and Cooley, Granville Corners, Massachusetts, was one of the curiosities which big as well as little folks gazed upon with astonishment. The heads of this huge instrument were made from the hides of 'prize' cattle, and measured eight feet in diameter, while the shell was twenty-five feet in circumference. It was painted, ornamented, and put together in the most artistic style, and bore the appropriate motto, 'Let Us Have Peace.'
From the moment this great-grandfather of a bass-drum was taken from the manufactory and placed on a platform-car for Boston, its advent was noisy and demonstrative. All along the line crowds gathered to see the 'elephant.' Its arrival in the city and exhibit at the store of Bent and Bush was the 'talk of the town' for many days, and there was scarcely a newspaper-man in the country who did not have a whang at it."
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| As amazing as the Noble & Cooley Peace Drum is, take a look at the person in the upper right corner of the photo. (from the Boston Public Library DPLA collection) |
For more information on the 1869 National Peace Jubilee go to:
http://www.celebrateboston.com/events/national-peace-jubilee.htm
https://archive.org/details/historynational00gilmgoog
