Orion R Farrar was a

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...

director and composer. Farrar was born in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, Indiana in 1866, son of an English shoemaker and an Indiana woman. Soon after his birth, his family moved to

Warren, Ohio Warren is a city in and the county seat of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. Located in northeastern Ohio, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 census. The his ...

. At the age of 19, Farrar enrolled in the famous Dana Musical Institute in Warren, studying theory, composition, and

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...

playing. Following graduation, he taught brass instruments and conducted the Institute band for 7 years. He resigned from Dana in 1896 to organize the

Indiana State Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...

Band, which he led for two years. He then returned to Ohio to form the Ohio State Band (unrelated to Ohio State University). He moved to

Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...

in 1901, where he led the Youngstown Military Band. In 1915, he conducted the

Lima, Ohio Lima ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwest Ohio along Interstate 75 in Ohio, Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, southwest of Toledo, Ohio, T ...

Municipal Band. He became a member of Old Erie Masonic Lodge No 3 in 1894 and was active until 1904, when he was expelled for non-payment of dues. The final years of Farrar's life remain a mystery. He was purported to have died in California in 1929, but this is undocumented. As a march composer, Farrar is most remembered for "Bombasto", "Indiana State Band", and "Hi Henry's Triumphal". "Bombasto" found an enduring place in the circus band repertoire, as well as in the libraries of municipal bands throughout America.

Marches by Orion R Farrar

*Northeastern Ohio Band Association Overture (Farrar 1891) *Alhotas (Cook 1895) *Americus (Harry Coleman 1887) *The Banner of Freedom ( Carl Fischer Music 1901) *Bombasto ( Carl Fischer Music 1895) *Canton Warren (Harry Coleman 1897) *Col. Roosevelt's March ( Carl Fischer Music 1898) *Columbiana (Harry Coleman 1892) *D.M.I. (Dana Musical Institute March) (Cook 1898) *Fort Frayne (Harry Coleman 1901) *Fort Omaha ( Carl Fischer Music 1896) *General Miles (Harry Coleman 1896) *Hi Henry's Triumphal ( Carl Fischer Music 1900) *Indiana State Band (Harry Coleman 1896) *Kokomo ( Harry Coleman 1896) *The Little Napoleon (Harry Coleman 1896) *The Loyal American ( Carl Fischer Music 1901) *McCune Cadets (Mace Gay 1894) *Montgomery Club (Rothermel 1900) *The New Dominion ( Carl Fischer Music 1902) *Ohio State Band (Coleman 1897) *Old Erie ( Carl Fischer Music 1895) *St John Commandery (Harry Coleman 1899) *Sergeant Ficken's March (Farrar & Heyser 1891) *Tampa Club ( Carl Fischer Music 1901) *The Telegram (Harry Coleman 1900) *Trumbull Club (Harry Coleman 1897) *Vindicator (Harry Coleman 1897) *Y M B (Youngstown Military Band )(J G Richards 1903)

References

*Geiger, Loren: Boombah Herald; Lancaster, NY 1974 *Rehrig, William H.: The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music; Integrity Press, Westerville, Ohio. Copyright Robert Hoe Foundation 1991. pg 231 *Smith, Norman : March Music Notes; Lake Charles Louisiana: Program Note Press 1986, pp131–132

Marches by Orion R Farrar

References

See also