Cobblestone Museum program will feature WWI music played on phonograph, piano

Provided photo: Raymond Santoro of Holley will present an educational program of World War I music at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Cobblestone Museum’s Vagg house.

CHILDS – Music and history will be combined in an evening of entertainment Oct. 27 at the Cobblestone Museum’s Vagg house.

At 6 p.m., former museum director Bill Lattin and Holley native and pianist Raymond Santoro will present and educational program on “The Music of World War One.” Featured will be many of the songs made popular during the first World War.

Lattin has selected a half dozen songs to play on an Edison cylinder phonograph, patented in 1913. These include “General Persing March,” “Just Before the Battle Mother,” Don’t Take my Darling Boy Away” and “Round Her Neck She Wears a Yellow Ribbon.”

The music in the years building up to the war was noticeably more upbeat than the music that followed during the war years, which later even included some anti-war sentiment in the tunes, explained museum director Doug Farley.

Santoro is a gifted pianist, who will entertain on a Gulbransen piano, playing songs like Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” his first big hit in 1913. Music by George M. Cohen will also be featured, including “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Grand Old Flag.”

Seating in the Vagg house is limited so reservations are required by calling (585) 589-9013. Light refreshments will be available. There is no admission charge, but donations will be accepted.