Although written to be sung, popular songs commonly led other lives. Tunes that could be sung on vaudeville stages or recorded for home play and perhaps home sing-a-longs were quickly learned and remembered. They became the common fare of music editors, who reshaped the tunes for bands and orchestras, enabling the tunes' notes and rhythms to reverberate in concert halls, emanate from park gazebos on warm summer nights, and to pack dance halls with happy couples. Such popular tunes comprise the largest single category of W. C. O'Hare's output.
Between August 2 and September 3, 1901, a few months after O'Hare had arranged Whitney's Frog Puddles for band, Witmark copyrighted several O'Hare cornet and trombone solos with band accompaniment.
- Gus Salzer's Just a Dear Girlie
- Kennett and Udall's Stay in Your Own Backyard and Fay and Oliver's Goodnight, Beloved, Goodnight, found below
- John Carrington's The Great Beyond and R. M. Skinner and Fred Ryecroft's Thou King All Glorious, instrumental versions of two popular religious anthems. Print/save O'Hare's The Great Beyond band score from North Royalton (OH) Community Band.
Despite the early series of cornet and trombone solos with band accompaniment, as well as some later ones, O'Hare most commonly arranged for full instrumentation, not for a solo instrument with accompaniment. Although he completed most such work for Witmark, he occasionally did a similar job for another publisher during his time on the Witmark staff. Therefore, a few non-Witmark arrangements appear below.
The examples you will see represent only a small percent of O'Hare's many hundreds of similar orchestra and band arrangements of popular songs. A few other samples appear on the New York Medley's page. He had nearly always arranged popular song tunes for orchestra and/or band before including them in a medley overture.
Dates come from band/orchestra copyright records or from dates printed on published music in my collection and may differ from the sheet music copyright year. When possible, I've included links to orchestra or band recordings attributed to O'Hare. When Witmark holds the copyright on a song and a copyright record exists for O'Hare's orchestra or band arrangement for that song, then the band or orchestra recording is almost certainly performed from his score even if his name doesn't appear on the recording label.
Because orchestra and band recordings of songs are less readily found than vocal recordings, and because one should know the song behind the orchestra or band recording, I have included links to many vocal recordings. As I locate more orchestra or band recordings, I will add them.
If you are willing to share or create digital files for more of the pieces below, please let me know. I will gladly add files and send music to you for that purpose if needed.
Dates come from band/orchestra copyright records or from dates printed on published music in my collection and may differ from the sheet music copyright year. When possible, I've included links to orchestra or band recordings attributed to O'Hare. When Witmark holds the copyright on a song and a copyright record exists for O'Hare's orchestra or band arrangement for that song, then the band or orchestra recording is almost certainly performed from his score even if his name doesn't appear on the recording label.
Because orchestra and band recordings of songs are less readily found than vocal recordings, and because one should know the song behind the orchestra or band recording, I have included links to many vocal recordings. As I locate more orchestra or band recordings, I will add them.
If you are willing to share or create digital files for more of the pieces below, please let me know. I will gladly add files and send music to you for that purpose if needed.
Sample Instrumental Arrangements of Popular Songs
Stay in Your Own Backyard (Witmark, 1901)
Good Night, Beloved, Good Night (Witmark, 1901)
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June, My June (Witmark, 1902)
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I Wants a Ping Pong Man (Witmark, 1902)
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Dat's De Way to Spell Chicken (Witmark, 1902)
While the Moon Shines Bright (Witmark, 1903)
Music Trade Review
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New York Clipper
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I've Got to Go Now, 'Cause I Think It's Goin' to Rain (Witmark, 1903)
Recorded on Victor 2489 but not found.
Title and vocal chorus segment of orchestration
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My Little Irish Canary (Howley-Haviland-Dresser, 1904)
Although O'Hare served on Witmark's staff, he orchestrated this Will Marion Cook tune for Howley-Haviland-Dresser.
Title and vocal chorus segment of orchestration
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We'll Raise the Roof To-Night (Witmark, 1904)
Advertisement for O'Hare orchestration. Although I haven't found the sheet music, the lyric begins, "At a colored church camp meeting . . . " The 1st cornet part (right) of O'Hare's band score includes the chorus: "Whoop-er up, Whoop-er up, Whoop-er up boys, whoop-er up boys, Woop-er up boys. Good times don't last forever. 'Smoke up' let's have another . All join in shout and sing, We'll raise the roof to-night."
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Solo and 1st cornet part from O'Hare's band score with a rare vocal chorus
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Catalog listing for O'Hare's Angelus piano roll arrangement
Coonville's Cullud Band (Witmark, 1904)
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Listen to the Big Brass Band (Witmark, 1904)
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Background graphic, top of page: M. Witmark & Sons, 144-146 West 37th Street