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A Kalgoorlie brass band. Albert Rule is the tuba player Image: The author’s collection.

musical but highly inappropriate was the only one to become a full-time battle the band operated the gunnery
accompaniment which did not amuse professional musician. predictors below deck! After the war
the celebrant priest, but was popular I believe that when Alan was in the he moved to Perth as principal clarinet
with the congregation. Regent orchestra he was embarrassed of the local symphony orchestra and he
The institution of the sound film by a lady, somewhat older than him, taught at the Perth conservatorium. He
has, as one of its initial economic who sent him gifts, sat as close as remained in Perth all his life.
results, the putting out of work of possible to him when he appeared and On my Grandfather’s death his
thousands of musicians engaged as generally made a nuisance of herself - instruments were sold to the Salvation
instrumentalists in the various theatres an old-time groupie! Army. He had composed music in his
of the country. This did not affect only Before World War Two disrupted day and I had seen manuscripts stored
the large theatres, many of which everything, grandfather had worked as in a piano bench. I could not read
frequently engaged orchestras of a music librarian for Hoyts. I do not music and so had no idea of his
practically full symphonic strength, but know when he gave up music. When I composing talent. Nor will anyone now,
reached down into the smaller theatres was a very small boy he was working because on Grandfather’s death all the
which had ensembles too small to be as a rent collector, and the only sign sheet music was thrown away, as well
dignified by the name of orchestras. that he had been a musician was the as many old theatre programs.
Howard Hanson, Director of the presence of a tuba and a sousaphone I conclude this reminiscence with a
Eastman School of Music, Rochester, behind a curtain which concealed an plea to anyone who knows survivors of
New York wrote those words in the unused fireplace in my grandparents’ the early days of cinema to record
Journal of the Society of Motion Picture house. memories before it is too late.
Engineers for December, 1936. I did not hear him play a note, I have just learned that a cousin
So it was with grandfather’s group, although a female cousin of mine tells who lives in Canberra has bought a
and I am not aware they ever worked in me she persuaded him to play the flute sousaphone for his retirement and is
a cinema. Out of the five musical for her occasionally. disturbing the peace there.
children, only the two boys persisted The war saw Uncle Alan join the Grandfather’s spirit lives on. ★
with their instruments. Uncle Carl navy as a bandsman and he served on
supplemented his day job income by HMAS Australia. I thought this was a
playing in dance bands and Uncle Alan soft touch until I learned that during

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