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Harry Wooster & The Orpheus Orchestra

London musician Ken Wooster (trombone) supplied this account from his family archives of how his father, Harry Wooster, started the Orpheus Orchestra.

"In the fall of 1920 Dick Cochrill, Reg Hodgins and Harry Wooster decided they should combine their talents and start an orchestra. No time was lost in debating the subject and they started to practice the very next night. Harry Wooster, by virtue of the fact that he played the lead instrument (the violin) was chosen leader with Reg Hodgins at the piano and Dick Cochrill at the drums. It was also decided to add a saxophone to the trio, as it was then the coming instrument for dance work so Mr Fred Davies was secured. Next came the selection of a name for the orchestra and after considering many different titles the word Orpheus was chosen as it was the name of a musician of ancient Greece and meant “the soul of music”. The first public performance was at a dance at Hyde Park on February 2, 1921 then followed several in London until the fall of that year. A series of dances was given to the orchestra so they had to increase their number to five adding Ed Ganney on the cornet. The orchestra by constant practice has developed into one of the best with unlimited number of musicians at its disposal".

By 1922 the orchestra was so successful that they added two more saxes and became capable of supplying a group of any size for any engagement.

In the same year the Orpheans also started broadcasting on radio station CJGC, owned and operated by the London Free Press, and drew a large audience in the surrounding area, so much so that their broadcasts became a regular event over the next few years. Fan mail came in regularly to CJGC from as far away as North Bay and Pembroke (see the postcards in the "Slideshow" below). The London Free Press of Tuesday December 19th 1922 lists the music program to be played by the Orpheus Orchestra in the radio broadcast that evening.

Throughout the twenties the orchestra flourished and became the top choice for the social Balls and events held in all the dance venues of the area. The family archives of Ken Wooster contain scrapbooks of London Free Press reviews of their performances, dance cards from their dances, letters of appreciation, and dance programs.