The French Canadians brought a cultural identity to Lewiston that is characterized by a strong connection to the Catholic church, a distinct language identity, and close family and community ties. Part of this cultural identity found expression in music with its advantages of portability, preserving the French language, and being easily passed from one generation to another in both oral or written forms. Music, especially song, enabled the community to join together, from singing in church choirs to Saturday night social gatherings. Vocal or instrumental music played an important part in these informal evenings . Franco-American children were expected to become proficient in singing or playing an instrument and learned through instruction in the parochial schools and in the home. As adults their continued interest in music often found expression through participation in church choirs, choral groups, music organizations, or as keepers of a family songbook. Music continues to be an expression of community and solidarity for the Franco-American community.
To document the importance of music in the cultural life of the Franco-American community, Lewiston-Auburn College organized two concurrent exhibitions: Keepers of the Song: The Franco-American Family Songbook Tradition supported by the Folk and Traditional Arts Program of the National Endowment for the Arts and Franco-American Music Traditions, made possible by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council. Both exhibitions contained a rich assortment of archival photographs and memorabilia gathered from a variety of sources including the Franco-American Heritage Collection at Lewiston-Auburn College and numerous individuals.
For more information, please see the exhibtion catalogue: Franco-American Music Traditions
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Holy Parish Family Choir Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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 accompanist for the Holy Family Parish Choir. She has many years of experience as a music teacher.
Courtesy of Roland M. Roy and Diane J. Biron
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Maurice Gagnon Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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.”
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The Mountain Dews Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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, Ray Chouinard, Bob Boothbay, Bill Anctil and Pauline St. Denis.
Courtesy of Bill Beauchesne; copy print by Jere DeWaters.
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The Guitar Class Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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.
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La Fanfare Montagnard (The Montagnard Band) Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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.
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The Pastime Snowshoe Club Drum and Bugle Corps Photograph, 1948-49
Franco-American Collection
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 club at 15, went on to become the drum major of the Pastime Drum and Bugle Corps and later, the director, drum major and manager of the Pine Tree Warriors.
Courtesy of Bert Dutil
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L'Orpheon Lewiston City Hall Photograph, 1947-1948
Franco-American Collection
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, Robert Wade, Leonard Maillet, Doria Gautier, Wilfred Laroche, (unidentified), Louis Restori, Alfred Jalbert, Marcel Dutil.
Row 2: Gerard Grenier, Tom Grenier, Zepherin Gosselin, Laurier Fortier, Maurice, Roland Carbonneau, Jean Charles Boucher, (unidentified), Raymond Matheux, Aime Simoneau, (unidentified), Vincent Bernier, Wilfrid Simard, Lucien Matheux, Raymond Langlais. Directed by Alexis J. Cote, Accompanist Claude Noel
Franco-American Heritage Collection; copy print by Jere Dewaters
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Sylvia and Rosaire Roy, WCOU Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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.
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Cast of L’Orpheon’s production of L’amour a bord, (H.M.S Pinafore) Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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.
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La Fanfare STE Cecile (Ste. Cecilia’s Band) Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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 Dr. Giguere), le Frere Aymond (founder), Herve Jacques, M. Firois, Eugene Poliquin, Dominique Fortier
Third row, L to R: Albert Barriault, Fernand Despins, W. Belanger, J.B. Nadeau, Amedee Morel, Adrien Fournier, John Plourde.
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The Dominican Band Photograph, 1925-1926
Franco-American Collection
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, Joseph Nadeau (drum major), Charles Guimond, Harry Lavoie, Arthur Croteau, Emilio Ouellette.
Row 3: Denis Giguere, George Carrier, Antonio Caber, Ferdinand Labrecque, Dominique Gagnon, Albert Giroux, Garneau or Galarneau, Armand Pinette
Row 4: Ludger Monier, Joseph Chenard, Fred Caron, Edmond Cote, Henri Chenard.
Franco-American Heritage Collection; copy print by Jere DeWaters.
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Carroll Poulin (3 months old) with father Joseph Poulin Photograph
Franco-American Collection
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 collection of musical instruments, some dating back to the Middle Ages. The instrument in this photograph is a helicon, a large bass tuba made circular for convenience when marching, and is similar to a sousaphone.
Courtesy of Carroll Poulin, Sr.
