Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore Biography

Dromo's Den

GILMORE, Patrick Sarsfield (1829–92). A celebrated American military bandmaster, born near Dublin, Ireland. His first musical experience was with the town band of Athlone, and when but 18 years of age he left his native city to go to Canada with an English band. Almost immediately on his arrival he crossed the boundary into the United States and settled in Salem, Mass., where he became conductor of a military band. The National Peace Jubilee of 1869, and the World's Peace Jubilee of 1872, held on Boston Common, gained him an international reputation. The entire musical ensemble in 1869 consisted of an orchestra of 1000, and a chorus of 10,000 voices, which number was doubled in the festival of 1872. Having settled in New York in 1874, Gilmore and his band began concert tours which were as popular as they were successful, the tours covering Canada, Great Britain, and several continental European cities of importance. His successor in this branch of musical organization was Sousa (q.v.). He died in St. Louis, Mo.

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. IX (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 769-770.