Hans Christian Andersen said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” The 300th Anniversary of Little Compton Committee (in 1975) must have supported this belief because music was a huge part of the celebration.

Starting with the parade, many of the floats had their own music, a calliope was followed by dozens of bands with hundreds of band members, including the Josephine F. Wilbur School Band. The Santo Christo band marched in the Portuguese Feast Parade, and the Lusitanos band and dancers entertained.

Dick Leger brought his square dancing and country music to the parking lot outside the school gym, the Colonial Navy Band of Massachusetts entertained under the tent for the final event. Tommy Cahill played his “squeezebox” and others also entertained at Senior Night. Barbershop quartets sang at the Gay Nineties dance. There was an organ concert at the United Congregational Church honoring Ray Palmer who wrote “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.” Rev. Palmer, born in Little Compton in 1808, was only 22 when he wrote the words to this iconic hymn. There was music by local bands for the play “Zebras in my Zinnias.”

But the piece de resistance was the Colonial Ball, where hundreds of people in colonial garb danced the night away to the music of the Glenn Miller Orchestra! (a little aside from this night – when the bus carrying the orchestra cut the driveway short turning into Veterans’ Field from Meeting House Lane, the bus became stuck on the stone wall, and the orchestra wasn’t leaving until Benny Wilkie came with his wrecker to dislodge it!).

The committee for Little Compton’s 350th birthday also believes in the power of music, so much so that they started the celebration early with a concert series of three nights of music at the Little Compton Community Center in July 2024.  This Sunset Series of Music will continue in the summer of 2025. A talented local family will entertain during the Opening Day Ceremonies on August 9th (and, of course, we will sing “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LITTLE COMPTON”).  Many local bands will be providing entertainment from two o’clock on at the Family Day celebration on Sunday, August 10. There will be bands and music galore in the parade on August 16, with Mr. Chubb as the featured entertainment that evening under the tent.  Look for music at the Portuguese Feast, and the Narragansetts Bay Chorus and their award-winning Barber Shop Quartets will entertain at a free concert on August 22nd.

‘IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE, PLAY ON.”  William Shakespeare