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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com
Fairfield’s Ethel Atwood Founder of a first all-women orchestra
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by James Nalley
n 1888, an all-women orchestra was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, by a Maine-born violinist and orchestra musician. The original group of six instrumentalists quickly expanded to 30 within the first year. They also became known for performing the latest classics and wearing shimmery gowns to match. This attracted the attention of renowned vaudeville manager B.F. Keith, who booked them in his theaters throughout the country. Over the course of its 30-year run, the group had performed more than 6,000 concerts, with approximately half of them as headliners in first-class vaudeville theaters. Ethel Atwood was born in Fairfield on September 12, 1870. She began
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— Ethel Atwood in 1893 —
studying the violin at the age of eight, but the lack of means and competent teachers in the area prevented her from acquiring the proficiency to become a violin soloist. However, by her midteens, she realized that to find work and make a living, a move to a major city was necessary. In this case, she headed for Boston, which was extremely active. In fact, by the turn of the 20th century, the city had become a hub for the performing arts. For example, there was the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1881), the Boston Orchestral Club (1885), the Boston Opera Company (1909), the Boston Flute Players Club (1920), and the Boston Saxophone Or(cont. on page 38)
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