April 2005 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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Band. Formed in 1842 to accompany the public drills of
the Nauvoo Legion, it soon became known as Pitt’s Brass
Band, named after its leader, William Pitt. The band played
for socials, concerts, steamboat excursions, arrivals of important
people, and patriotic events. The energetic music
created by fifes, fiddles, drums, and horns filled hearts
with toe-tapping excitement or poignant fervor, depending
on the occasion.
Later, when the musicians were settled in the Salt Lake
Valley, Pitt’s Brass Band was usually found among those
who welcomed travel-weary wagon train companies upon
their arrival in the valley. When the Salt Lake Temple site
was dedicated in 1853 and the cornerstone laid on April 6
of that year, two brass bands provided the music.
One Latter-day Saint in 1847 summed up the benefits
of these lively celebrations by saying: “I am fond of these
pastimes, they give me the privilege to [put] everything
off . . . that my body may exercise and my mind rest.
What for? To get strength and be renewed and quickened
Above: Costumes reflecting cultural heritage are an
important part of every celebration, including this one
in Manhattan, New York.