L.F. Addison

L.F. Addison

L.F. (Laidlaw Fletcher) Addison or "Puff." Bandmaster, bassist, composer, b Hamilton, Ont, 4 Jul 1878, d Toronto 19 Aug 1949. He studied violin with his father (euphonium soloist of Hamilton's 13th Royal Regiment for 46 years) and with W. Anderson, and theory with Arthur W. Hughes, but was mainly self-taught as a string bass player. He lived 1898-1900 in the USA and 1900-2 in New Westminster, BC. Addison joined the Canadian Kilties Band and toured North America with that organization until 1906, latterly as conductor. He played in and conducted bands in the USA and led the Savoy Theatre Band in Hamilton before settling in 1909 in Toronto, where he was a member of the Welsman TSO 1910-14, the New Symphony Orchestra 1923-7, and the TSO 1929-46. After 1910 he directed bands in Barrie, Brantford, Trenton, New Toronto, and Belleville. Addison was also director of the Brass and Flute Bands of the Royal Grenadier Regiment 1929-32, and of the 86th Machine Gun Battalion Band (later the Canadian Machine Gun Corps Band) which he conducted in Europe during World War II. In 1935 he reorganized the Toronto Symphony Band, which performed at the CNE and on CBC radio under Addison but had reduced its activities by 1945. Addison was a founding member of the CBA and served 1944-5 as its president. His compositions (listed in Catalogue of Canadian Composers) include two waltzes for orchestra and several marches for band.