Musicians lost in the Titanic sinking
The
Titanic
'
s orchestra;
Top: Clarke; Taylor. Middle: Krins, Hartley, Brailey. Bottom: Hume; Woodward; not pictured: Bricoux
The musicians of the
Titanic
were a
septet
orchestra
who performed
chamber music
in the first class section aboard the ship.
The group is notable for playing music, intending to calm the passengers for as long as they possibly could, during the
ship's sinking
in the early hours of April 15, 1912 in which all of the members perished.
Members of the
Titanic
orchestra
Timeline
[
edit
]
Eight musicians ? members of a three-piece ensemble and a five-piece ensemble ? were booked through C. W. & F. N. Black, in
Liverpool
.
They boarded at
Southampton
and traveled as second-class passengers. They were not on the
White Star Line
's payroll but were contracted to White Star by the Liverpool firm of C. W. & F. N. Black, who placed musicians on almost all British liners. Until the night of the sinking, the players performed as two separate groups: a
quintet
led by violinist and official bandleader
Wallace Hartley
, that played at teatime, after-dinner concerts, and Sunday services, among other occasions; and the violin, cello, and piano trio of Georges Krins,
Roger Bricoux
[
fr
]
, and Theodore Brailey, that played at the A La Carte Restaurant and the Cafe Parisien.
[2]
After the
Titanic
hit an iceberg and began to sink, Hartley and his fellow band members started playing music to help keep the passengers calm as the crew loaded the
lifeboats
. Many of the survivors said that Hartley and the band continued to play until the very end. Reportedly, their final tune was the hymn "
Nearer, My God, to Thee
",
[3]
although other sources suggest it was
"Songe d'Automne"
(also known simply as "Autumn"). One second-class passenger said:
Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame.
[4]
All eight musicians died in the sinking.
[5]
Musicians
[
edit
]
William Brailey
[
edit
]
William Theodore Ronald Brailey
|
---|
Born
| (
1887-10-25
)
25 October 1887
|
---|
Died
| 15 April 1912
(1912-04-15)
(aged 24)
|
---|
Occupation
| Pianist
|
---|
|
|
Allegiance
| United Kingdom
|
---|
Service/
branch
| British Army
|
---|
Years of service
| 1902?1907
|
---|
Unit
| Lancashire Fusiliers
|
---|
|
William Theodore Ronald Brailey
(25 October 1887 ? 15 April 1912) was an English
pianist
.
[5]
[6]
Born on 25 October 1887 in
Walthamstow
in
Greater London
(then part of
Essex
),
he was the son of William "Ronald" Brailey, a well-known figure of
Spiritualism
.
Brailey studied piano at school, and one of his first jobs was performing in a local hotel.
In 1902, he joined the
Royal Lancashire Fusiliers regiment
signing for 12 years service as a musician.
He was stationed in
Barbados
but left the army prematurely in 1907.
He returned to England and lived at 71 Lancaster Road,
Ladbroke Grove
, London.
[6]
In 1911, he enlisted aboard ship, playing first on the
Saxonia
, prior to joining the
Cunard
steamer
RMS
Carpathia
in 1912, where he met the French
cellist
Roger Bricoux. Both men then joined the White Star Line and were recruited by Liverpool music agency C. W. & F. N. Black to serve on the
Titanic
.
[6]
[19]
Brailey boarded the
Titanic
on Wednesday 10 April 1912 in Southampton. His ticket number was 250654, the ticket for all the members of Hartley's orchestra. His cabin was in the second class quarters.
[4]
[6]
[20]
Brailey was 24 years old when he died; his body was never recovered.
[6]
[21]
Roger Bricoux
[
edit
]
Roger Marie Bricoux
|
---|
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Bricoux_1.png/170px-Bricoux_1.png) |
Born
| (
1891-06-01
)
1 June 1891
|
---|
Died
| 15 April 1912
(1912-04-15)
(aged 20)
|
---|
Occupation
| Cellist
|
---|
Roger Marie Bricoux
(1 June 1891 ? 15 April 1912) was a French cellist.
[22]
Born on 1 June 1891 in Rue de Donzy,
Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire
, France,
[23]
Bricoux
[
fr
]
was the son of a musician. The family moved to Monaco when he was a young boy,
and he was educated in various
Catholic institutions
in Italy.
It was during his studies that he joined his first
orchestra
and won first prize at the Conservatory of Bologna for musical ability.
[26]
After studying at the Paris Conservatory, he moved to England in 1910 to join the orchestra in the Grand Central Hotel in
Leeds
.
At the end of 1911, he moved to
Lille
, France, lived at 5 Place du Lion d'Or, and played in various locations throughout the city.
[4]
Before joining the
Titanic
, Bricoux had served with Brailey on the Cunard steamer
Carpathia
before joining the White Star Line.
[4]
[26]
[7]
He boarded the
Titanic
on Wednesday 10 April 1912 in Southampton.
[26]
His ticket number was 250654, the ticket for all the members of Hartley's orchestra. His cabin was second class, and he was the only French musician aboard the
Titanic
.
[28]
Bricoux was 20 years old when he died;
[26]
his body was never recovered.
[4]
In 1913, after his apparent disappearance, he was declared a
deserter
by the
French army
. It was not until 2000 that he was eventually officially registered as dead in France, mainly due to the efforts of the Association Francaise du Titanic.
[29]
On 2 November 2000, the same association unveiled a memorial plaque to Bricoux in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire.
[23]
[29]
Wallace Hartley
[
edit
]
Wallace Henry Hartley
(2 June 1878 ? 15 April 1912), an English violinist, was the bandleader on the
Titanic
. Hartley's body was recovered by the
CS
Mackay-Bennett
,
[30]
before being returned to England for burial in his home town of
Colne
, Lancashire.
The violin that he used on the Titanic was found in its case strapped to his body. It is now on display at the
''Titanic'' Museum (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
.
Jock Hume
[
edit
]
John Law Hume
|
---|
Born
| (
1890-08-09
)
9 August 1890
|
---|
Died
| 15 April 1912
(1912-04-15)
(aged 21)
Atlantic Ocean
|
---|
Burial place
| Fairview Lawn Cemetery
, Halifax, Nova Scotia
|
---|
Occupation
| Violinist
|
---|
John Law
"
Jock
"
Hume
(9 August 1890 ? 15 April 1912) was a Scottish
violinist
.
[31]
Hume was born on 9 August 1890 in
Dumfries
, Scotland and lived with his parents at 42 George Street, Dumfries.
[31]
He had already played on at least five ships before the
Titanic
, and was recruited to play on its maiden voyage due to his good reputation as a musician.
[32]
Hume spent the winter of 1910/1911 in Kingston, Jamaica, where he performed in the Orchestra for the Constant Spring Hotel, a grand resort of the time. Future Titanic cellist John Woodward was also a member of the Constant Spring Orchestra. During his four months in Jamaica, Hume entered a relationship with barmaid Ethel McDonald. Hume left Jamaica in April 1911, and Ethel gave birth to their child, Keith Neville McDonald Hume, in November 1911.
[33]
He boarded the
Titanic
on Wednesday 10 April 1912 in Southampton. His ticket number was 250654, the ticket for all the members of Hartley's orchestra. His cabin was in the second class quarters.
Hume was 21 years old when he died and his fiancee, Mary Costin, was pregnant with his child.
[32]
His body was recovered by the CS
Mackay-Bennett
,
[10]
and was passed into the care of
John Henry Barnstead
who arranged for his burial in grave 193 of the designated
Titanic
plot at
Fairview Lawn Cemetery
, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on 8 May 1912.
[10]
[34]
[35]
A memorial was erected for Hume and Thomas Mullin (third class steward) in Dock Park, Dumfries. It reads:
In memory of John Law Hume, a member of the band and Thomas Mullin, steward, natives of these towns who lost their lives in the wreck of the White Star Liner
Titanic
which sank in mid-Atlantic on the 14th day of April 1912. They died at the post of duty.
[34]
Hume and the other members of Hartley's orchestra all belonged to the Amalgamated British Musicians Union and were employed by a Liverpool music agency, C. W. & F. N. Black, which supplied musicians for Cunard and the White Star Line.
[10]
[36]
[37]
On 30 April 1912, Hume's father, Andrew, received the following note from the agency:
Dear Sir:
We shall be obliged if you will remit us the sum of 5s. 4d. [five shillings and sixpence], which is owing to us as per enclosed statement.
We shall also be obliged if you will settle the enclosed uniform account.
Yours faithfully,
C. W. & F. N. Black
[4]
[10]
The letter caused controversy at the time when it was reprinted in the Amalgamated Musicians Union's monthly newsletter.
[36]
Andrew Law Hume decided not to settle the bill.
[37]
In April 1914 John W. Furness, the violinist of the Canadian liner
RMS
Empress of Ireland
made a pilgrimage with
Anglican Church
officials to visit the grave of John Law Hume at the Fairview Lawn Cemetery and pay his respects. Furness himself died in a shipwreck only a few weeks later when
Empress of Ireland
sank on 29 May 1914.
[38]
Georges Krins
[
edit
]
Georges Alexandre Krins
|
---|
Born
| (
1889-03-18
)
18 March 1889
Paris, France
|
---|
Died
| 15 April 1912
(1912-04-15)
(aged 23)
|
---|
Occupation
| Violinist
|
---|
Georges Alexandre Krins
(18 March 1889 ? 15 April 1912) was a Belgian violinist.
[11]
Born on 18 March 1889 in Paris, France,
[39]
his family was from Belgium, and soon after his birth they moved back there to the town of
Spa
. He first studied at Academie de Musique de Spa. He then moved to the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in
Liege
, Belgium, where he studied from 30 October 1902 until 1908, when he won first prize for violin, with the highest distinction.
[40]
[4]
[11]
As a young man he wanted to join the army; however, his parents persuaded him otherwise.
[11]
He worked in his father's shop and played in La Grande Symphonie, Spa, and in 1910 he moved to Paris to be first violin at
Le Trianon Lyrique
.
[11]
He subsequently moved to London and played for two years at the
Ritz Hotel
until March 1912.
[11]
He lived at 10 Villa Road,
Brixton
, London and became bandmaster of the Trio String Orchestra, which played near the Cafe Francais.
[11]
This led to his being recruited by CW & FN Black, Liverpool to play on the
Titanic
.
[4]
He boarded the
Titanic
on Wednesday 10 April 1912 in Southampton. His ticket number was 250654, the ticket for all the members of Hartley's orchestra.
[11]
His cabin was second class, and he was the only Belgian musician aboard the
Titanic
. After the
Titanic
began to sink, Krins and his fellow band members assembled in the first class lounge and started playing music to help keep the passengers calm. They later moved to the forward half of the boat deck, where they continued to play as the crew loaded the lifeboats. Krins was 23 years old when he died. His body was never recovered.
[4]
[11]
[41]
Memorial concert
[
edit
]
A memorial concert for the Bandsmen of the
Titanic
was held at the
Royal Albert Hall
on Friday 24 May to raise funds to support the families of the musicians lost at sea.
[42]
Musicians from the
London Philharmonic Orchestra
, the
Queen's Hall
Orchestra, the
London Symphony Orchestra
,
[43]
the New Symphony Orchestra, the
Beecham
Symphony Orchestra, the
Royal Opera
Orchestra, and the
London Opera House
Orchestra
[44]
made up an orchestra of around 500 players.
[45]
Ada Crossley
opened the concert with
Felix Mendelssohn
's
Oh Rest in the Lord
from
Elijah
, with the rest of the programme consisting of solemn orchestral items including works by
Elgar
,
Tchaikovsky
and
Wagner
, with
Chopin
's
Funeral March
and
Arthur Sullivan
's
"In Memoriam"
. Seven conductors led the orchestra, Sir Edward Elgar,
Sir Henry Wood
,
Landon Ronald
,
Percy Pitt
, Thomas Beecham, Fritz Ernaldy and
Willem Mengelberg
.
[46]
The audience joined in singing "
Nearer, My God, to Thee
" as orchestrated by Sir Henry Wood to close the concert. A photograph of the event hangs in the Royal Albert Hall outside the
loggia
boxes.
[47]
Memorials
[
edit
]
-
-
Titanic
Bandsmen Memorial monument in
Broken Hill
, Australia (1913)
-
SS
Titanic
Memorial Bandstand in
Ballarat
, Australia (1915)
In media
[
edit
]
Film
[
edit
]
Two documentary films have been made about the
Titanic's
band.
Literature
[
edit
]
Books written specifically about the
Titanic'
s musicians include:
- Steve Turner
's nonfiction book,
The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic
(2011)
- Christopher Ward
's non-fiction book,
And the Band Played On: The Titanic Violinist and the Glovemaker: A True Story of Love, Loss and Betrayal
(2011),
[50]
which became a
Sunday Times
bestseller and was made into a documentary for the
Discovery Channel
titled,
Titanic: The Aftermath
(2012).
[51]
The book details the story of Ward's grandfather, Jock Hume.
[52]
[53]
Music
[
edit
]
- Chamber music ensemble
I Salonisti
performs Titanic repertoire on the album
And the Band Played On (Music Played on the Titanic)
(1997),
[54]
including the Intermezzo from
Cavalleria rusticana
. The White Star orchestra played this famous piece from
Mascagni
's opera after dinner in
Titanic
's lounge on 10 April 1912, according to passenger
Father Browne
.
[55]
- Minimalist work
The Sinking of the Titanic
(1969?1972) by composer
Gavin Bryars
is meant to recreate how the music performed by the band would reverberate through the water some time after they ceased performing.
- Harry Chapin
's album
Dance Band on the Titanic
(1977) is dedicated to the
Titanic's
ensembles and contains a song titled "Dance Band on the Titanic"
- The album
Titanic: Music As Heard On The Fateful Voyage
(1997),
[56]
by
Ian Whitcomb
and the White Star Orchestra, recreates songs played aboard the
Titanic
the night the ship
foundered
, and includes detailed liner notes about the music and excursion.
Theatre
[
edit
]
- The 1997 musical
Titanic
, with music and lyrics by
Maury Yeston
and a book by
Peter Stone
that opened on Broadway, is set on the ocean liner. It swept the 1997 musical Tony Awards winning all five it was nominated for including the award for Best Musical and Best Score (Yeston's second for both). It ran for 804 performances at the
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
.
[57]
Hartley is the only named character in the musical, while the rest of the band itself only makes an appearance in one music number.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Titanic's Band or Orchestra"
.
Titanic-Titanic.com
. Archived from
the original
on 15 July 2007
. Retrieved
31 July
2007
.
- ^
"Denis Kilcommons: Which version of Nearer My God to Thee did Wallace Hartley play as Titanic went down?"
. 12 April 2012.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
Kopstein, Jack (2011).
"The Valiant Musicians | World Military Bands"
.
worldmilitarybands.com
. Archived from
the original
on 5 January 2013
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Kopstein, Jack (2011).
"The Valiant Musicians |"
.
World Military Bands
. Archived from
the original
on 5 January 2013
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"William Theodore Ronald Brailey"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Encyclopedia Titanica. 21 December 1998
. Retrieved
13 May
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Roger Marie Bricoux"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Encyclopedia Titanica. 23 May 2006
. Retrieved
13 May
2022
.
- ^
"John Frederick Preston Clarke"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Encyclopedia Titanica. 15 January 2007
. Retrieved
13 May
2022
.
- ^
"Wallace Henry Hartley"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Encyclopedia Titanica
. Retrieved
13 May
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Jock Hume"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Encyclopedia Titanica. August 2006
. Retrieved
13 May
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
"Georges Alexandre Krins"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Encyclopedia Titanica. 27 June 2002
. Retrieved
13 May
2022
.
- ^
"Percy Cornelius Taylor"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Encyclopedia Titanica. 27 October 2010
. Retrieved
13 May
2022
.
- ^
"John Wesley Woodward"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Encyclopedia Titanica. 29 January 1998
. Retrieved
13 May
2022
.
- ^
Whitfield, Geoff; Mendez, Olivier (2011).
"Mr Roger Marie Bricoux"
.
Encyclopedia Titanica
. Retrieved
5 June
2011
.
- ^
"Second Class Passengers"
.
titanicsite.kit.net
. 2007. Archived from
the original
on 28 February 2018
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
"Theodore Ronald Brailey ? 2nd Class Passenger on the
Titanic
from England ? Brailey ? Family History & Genealogy Message Board"
.
Ancestry.co.uk
. 2011
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
Ancestry.co.uk (2011).
"Roger-Marie Bricoux ? Passenger on the Titanic from Monaco ? General ? Family History & Genealogy Message Board"
.
boards.ancestry.co.uk
. Retrieved
5 June
2011
.
1 June 1891
- ^
a
b
Titanic-Titanic (2011).
"Titanic-Titanic.com ? View topic ? Roger Bricoux [cellist]"
.
titanic-titanic.com
. Archived from
the original
on 8 December 2015
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
rue de Donzy
- ^
a
b
c
d
Sha're (2011).
"Roger Bricoux [violoncelliste]"
.
titanic.superforum.fr
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
titanicsite (2007).
"Titanic Site"
.
titanicsite.kit.net
. Archived from
the original
on 28 February 2018
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Mendez, Olivier (2011).
"Memorial to Roger Bricoux,
Titanic
cello player (2000) ? 2 November 2000"
.
encyclopedia-titanica.org
. Retrieved
5 June
2011
.
On November 2nd 2000, the Association Francaise du
Titanic
unveiled a memorial plaque in memory of Roger Bricoux in Cosne-sur-Loire, the city where he was born on June 1st 1891. In 1913, Roger had been considered a desertor by the French army, and it was not before 2000, thanks to the AFT's work, that he was officially registered as... dead.
- ^
"Titanic band leader's violin is authentic, say experts"
.
News Wiltshire
. BBC. 15 March 2013
. Retrieved
16 March
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Ancestry.com (2011).
"John Law Hume"
.
homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Blackmore, David (2011).
"Boughton resident's book reveals tale of young bandsman on Titanic"
.
Norwich Evening News
. Archived from
the original
on 15 August 2016
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
He played on at least five ships before the
Titanic
and he was put forward to play on the ship because they really wanted to cream of the crop to play for passengers. It was such a famous ship and the largest liner at the time and that's what made John really want to be on its maiden voyage.
- ^
"And the Band Played on"
.
- ^
a
b
Titanic Remembered (2011).
"Titanic Remembered ? in Dumfries"
.
maritime.elettra.co.uk
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
in grave 193
- ^
Ancestry.com (2011).
"John Law Hume ? Musician on the Titanic from England ? Hume ? Family History & Genealogy Message Board"
.
boards.ancestry.com
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
Burial: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Friday 3rd May 1912
- ^
a
b
Laing, Peter (2011).
"Callous demand on family of Scots violinist who played as Titanic sank | Deadline News"
.
deadlinenews.co.uk
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Darroch, Gordon (2011).
"A bad note: the bill sent to Titanic violinist who played on as the ship went down | Glasgow and West | STV News"
.
news.stv.tv
. Archived from
the original
on 29 March 2012
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
"The Orchestra were Favourites in Halifax",
Halifax Evening Mail
, 30 May 1914
- ^
Titanic-Titanic.com (2011).
"Titanic Memorial ? George Krins, Spa, Belgium"
.
titanic-titanic.com
. Archived from
the original
on 3 March 2018
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
"The Brave Bandsmen ? A Belgian Memorial ::
Liverpool Echo
? 25 April 1912"
.
encyclopedia-titanica.org
. 2011
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
- ^
Passenger 47 (2011).
"Titanic 4 You Chat Forums :: View topic ? The Titanic's Band / Orchestra"
.
hostmybb.com
. Archived from
the original
on 10 June 2015
. Retrieved
6 June
2011
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
Jacky Cowdrey (10 May 2012).
"From the Archives: The Titanic Band Memorial Concert"
.
Royal Albert Hall
. Retrieved
26 July
2023
.
- ^
"Titanic Band memorial concert, 1912"
.
Classic FM (UK)
. Retrieved
26 July
2023
.
- ^
"The
Titanic
Band Memorial Concert"
.
www.dennisbrain.net
. Retrieved
26 July
2023
.
- ^
"The
Titanic
Band Memorial Concert"
.
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
. 14 June 2007
. Retrieved
26 July
2023
.
- ^
"Historypin"
.
Historypin
. Retrieved
26 July
2023
.
- ^
John Willians (14 June 2017).
"From the Archive: conserving the Titanic Band Memorial Concert photograph"
.
Royal Albert Hall
. Retrieved
26 July
2023
.
- ^
"The
Titanic
'
s band remembered in new TV documentary The Band Played On"
.
Liverpool Echo
. 6 April 2012
. Retrieved
4 March
2014
.
- ^
"Titanic ? Band of Courage"
. Cinando. Archived from
the original
on 9 June 2020
. Retrieved
4 March
2014
.
- ^
Ward, Christopher (2011).
And The Band Played On: The Titanic Violinist and the Glovemaker: A True Story of Love, Loss and Betrayal
. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
ISBN
9781444707977
.
- ^
Devan, Subhadra (30 March 2012).
"That sinking feeling"
.
New Straits Times
. Archived from
the original
on 22 May 2012
. Retrieved
22 May
2012
.
- ^
Ward, Christopher (29 February 2012).
"What Happened To My Grandfather After the Titanic Sank"
.
Huffington Post
. Retrieved
22 May
2012
.
- ^
Davenport-Hines, Richard (20 August 2011).
"Book reviews: When the great ship went down"
.
The Spectator
. Archived from
the original
on 5 May 2013
. Retrieved
22 May
2012
.
- ^
"And the Band Played On: Music Played on the Titanic"
.
Discogs
. 1997
. Retrieved
29 December
2020
.
- ^
"Queenstown locals believed Titanic touched by devil"
. www.independent.ie. 1 April 2012
. Retrieved
29 December
2020
.
- ^
Whitcomb, Ian (10 June 1997).
Titanic: Music As Heard On The Fateful Voyage
(Audio Cassette ed.). Wea Corp.
ASIN
B0000063DP
.
- ^
Brantley, Ben." 'Titanic,' the Musical, Is Finally Launched, and the News Is It's Still Afloat" New York Times, 24 April 1997
Sources
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]