The month of May promises to be an exciting time for those who love music and history, as several groups’ events are scheduled to take place.
Three of the four events, the Tecumseh Pops Orchestra and Community Chorus concert, an exhibit at the Tecumseh Area Historical Museum, and an old-time vaudeville show, will celebrate the life and times of local musician, Clare Camburn.
Mr. Camburn was born and raised in Macon. He grew up on the family farm, which was established in 1832, and became a musician at a young age. In fact, his first documented public performance was in 1895, when he was only 7 years old. Clare attended local country schools and finished his high school education at home. In 1907, he attended one semester at the Dana Institute in Ohio, which was later renamed Youngstown University. In 1912, he joined the Nine White Hussars, a renowned singing band that traveled on the Vaudeville and Chautauqua Circuits in the United States and Canada.
Clare performed with them intermittently until 1918, when he returned to Macon to settle down with his wife, Agatha.
In 1919, Clare became the conductor of the newly formed Tecumseh Ladies Band, which began the previous fall. The impetus for the formation of this group came about at the suggestion of locals who wanted a band to provide musical entertainment. As most of the young men were off fighting in World War I, women and girls from this area became its members, many of them learning to play an instrument for the first time so they could take part.
The Ladies Band was in existence from 1919 until 1932, where they performed concert settings, as well as parades.
