Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

“ALBERTA MUSIC FESTIVAL”

Date

1916

Materials

METAL

No. Pieces

1

Height

3.5

Length

2.75

Width

0.25

Description

BROWN ROUND METAL MEDAL, HUNG ON A RING FROM A HORIZONTAL GOLD BAR WITH A STRAIGHTPIN AND CLASP ATTACHED TO ITS BACK. GOLD BAR HAS EMBOSSED FLORAL PATTERN. MEDAL’S FRONT HAS A RAISED DESIGN DEPICTING A HARP WITH LAURELS AND A RIBBON WITH TEXT THAT READS “ALBERTA MUSICAL FESTIVAL”. MEDAL’S BACK HAS A RAISED DESIGN DEPICTING LAURELS CURVING ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND ENGRAVED TEXT THAT READS “WON BY ETHEL C. WATERMAN, CONDUCTOR, FLEETWOOD SCHOOL CHORUS, 1916”. CONDITION VERY GOOD OVERALL.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

History

THIS MEDAL WAS WON BY ETHEL CORDELIA WATERMAN, GRANDMOTHER OF THE DONOR, KIM NIELSEN, AT THE 1916 ALBERTA MUSIC FESTIVAL AS THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FLEETWOOD SCHOOL CHORUS. THE DONOR STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED THE MEDAL FROM HER FATHER, EARL HERBERT AROUND 2003, AND THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THE HISTORY OF HIS MOTHER’S MUSICAL TRAINING BUT REMEMBERED MUSIC IN THE FAMILY HOME AS A CHILD. AN ARTICLE FROM THE MAY 25, 1916 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD DESCRIBES THE ALBERTA MUSIC FESTIVAL BEING HELD IN THE CITY AT WESLEY CHURCH, AND LISTS THE FLEETWOOD SCHOOL CHORUS AS WINNER OF THE SCHOOL CHORUS CATEGORY ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1916. THIS PARTICULAR OCCASION WAS NOTEWORTHY AS THE FIRST TIME THE PROVINCIAL COMPETITION WAS HELD OUTSIDE OF EDMONTON SINCE ITS CONCEPTION IN 1907. THE ARTICLE STATES: “THE SINGING OF THE SCHOOL CHILDREN WEDNESDAY MORNING WAS A FEATURE OF THE FESTIVAL. FIVE CHORUSES ENTERED AND SHOWED THE RESULTS OF REMARKABLE TRAINING… THE CONTEST WAS VERY KEEN AND WAS WON BY FLEETWOOD SCHOOL UNDER MISS WATERMAN, ONLY AFTER A SECOND TRIAL HAD BEEN HEARD BETWEEN THIS SCHOOL AND NO. 3 CENTRAL… IN GIVING HIS DECISION [AJUDICATOR] MR. THOMAS COMMENDED THE CHILDREN AND LEADERS, BUT TOOK PARTICULAR PAINS TO POINT OUT THE OUTSTANDING DEFECTS, SUCH AS THE CLIPPING SHORT OF THE VOWELS AND LENGTHENING OF THE CONSONANTS WHICH IMPAIRED THE INTONATION…” FURTHER LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM 1917 LIST ETHEL WATERMAN AS CONDUCTOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING FLEETWOOD SCHOOL CHOIR, AND A NOTICE PUBLISHED IN THE AUGUST 12, 1938 ISSUE ANNOUNCES HER MARRIAGE TO ROBERT EMBLETON HERBERT. ACCORDING TO HER OBITUARY, ETHEL WATERMAN HERBERT DIED IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1957. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.

Catalogue Number

P20130019000

Acquisition Date

2013-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail