Historic Music of Newport

Historic Music of Newport Preserving Newport’s musical heritage. Restoring forgotten songs, honoring local musicians, and sharing their stories with the community.

We are excited to announce a special evening with our friends at the Newport Protective Club on Wednesday, September 16t...
09/03/2026

We are excited to announce a special evening with our friends at the Newport Protective Club on Wednesday, September 16th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. During the evening, we will be displaying an exhibit celebrating Newport's Irish history,

A cash bar will be available throughout the evening, making it a great opportunity to explore local history and connect with old and new friends.

A look at the music teachers recorded in Newport’s 1880 City Directory. Listings like these help us understand who was p...
09/03/2026

A look at the music teachers recorded in Newport’s 1880 City Directory. Listings like these help us understand who was providing musical instruction in the city during this period, from private tutors to instructors connected with local ensembles or military bands. Each name offers another clue about how music was taught, shared, and passed down in Newport’s communities.

Do you recognize any of these names?

Spending time this morning combing through the 1880 United States Census to identify the musicians who were active in Ne...
09/02/2026

Spending time this morning combing through the 1880 United States Census to identify the musicians who were active in Newport during this period. These records offer valuable details about where they lived, the occupations they listed, and how music fit into everyday life in the city. Each entry helps us piece together the individuals who shaped Newport’s early soundscape and preserve their place in its history.

A photo of the long-gone Musicians School at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island taken in 1921. This image survives in t...
09/01/2026

A photo of the long-gone Musicians School at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island taken in 1921. This image survives in the Naval History & Heritage Command.

We’ve identified 127 Navy musicians who trained or served in Newport, and we uncover more names every week. Our work focuses on telling their stories: their service, their musical careers, and the lives they built before and after they served.

Learn more about our work preserving our musical history:
https://www.historicmusicofnewport.org/

Navy Band Northeast

Today is the last day of our August fundraiser. If you’ve been following our work and want to support it, this is the mo...
08/31/2026

Today is the last day of our August fundraiser. If you’ve been following our work and want to support it, this is the moment that truly makes a difference. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us preserve Newport’s musical history and continue future programs and research.

We’re also offering special donor thank‑you gifts at select contribution levels as a way to show our appreciation.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged this project. Your help keeps this history alive.

Visit:
https://www.historicmusicofnewport.org/donate-today

As we continue researching Newport’s musical heritage, we’ve been uncovering stories connected to the city’s maritime wo...
08/30/2026

As we continue researching Newport’s musical heritage, we’ve been uncovering stories connected to the city’s maritime world, including music written for yacht clubs, regattas, and the social life surrounding Newport Harbor.

This work is part of our August fundraiser, helping us preserve and share the cultural history that shaped Newport’s yachting community. Supporters at certain levels will receive special thank‑you gifts as our way of honoring your role in keeping this history alive.

If you love Newport, its harbor, its traditions, and the legacy of the Ida Lewis, Newport and New York Yacht Clubs musical legacy, we’d be honored to have your support. Donors at certain levels will receive a thank you gift as our way of showing appreciation for your support.

Donate: https://www.historicmusicofnewport.org/donate-today

On Monday we mentioned that John L. Birkenhead, the Trinity Church, Newport organist, had one very important student. Th...
08/28/2026

On Monday we mentioned that John L. Birkenhead, the Trinity Church, Newport organist, had one very important student. That student was Oliver Shaw.

Oliver Shaw, born in Middleborough, Massachusetts in 1779, lost his sight in each eye during childhood. His parents sent him to Newport to study music with Birkenhead, whose guidance shaped Shaw’s early development. Shaw later settled in Providence, becoming a respected music teacher, publisher, organist, and prolific composer until his death in 1848.

For our music educator followers: one of Shaw’s own students was Lowell Mason, a foundational figure in 19th‑century American music education whose influence still echoes today.

Newport’s musical heritage reaches far beyond the city, and stories like these show how deeply its legacy shaped American culture. Learn more about our work:
https://www.historicmusicofnewport.org/

Providence Preservation Society
Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission

08/28/2026

Congratulations to Roger Federer and Mary Carillo on your induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame!

While you’re enjoying the weekend, here’s a piece of history you might not know: the very first United States Tennis Championships were played right on the lawn at the Newport Casino.

Enjoy this short video featuring the earliest U.S. Open champions, set to music by Henry Maylath, composed in 1881 — the same year the tournament began.

A perfect bit of Newport tennis history for Hall of Fame weekend.

Learn more about our nonprofit and support our August fundraiser:
https://www.historicmusicofnewport.org/

Our Summer Concert Series at Touro Park brings back one of Newport’s oldest traditions, community bands performing in th...
08/27/2026

Our Summer Concert Series at Touro Park brings back one of Newport’s oldest traditions, community bands performing in the heart of the city, just as they did in the Gilded Age and even earlier.

These concerts revive the music that once echoed through Newport’s summer evenings, connecting neighbors, families, and visitors to a heritage that belongs to all of us.

Your support during our August fundraiser helps keep this tradition alive.
Every gift directly supports the research that uncovers Newport’s historic music and the performances that bring it back to the community.

To show our appreciation, donors at select levels will receive a special thank‑you gift, a small way for us to honor those who help preserve and share Newport’s musical legacy.

Donate today:
https://www.historicmusicofnewport.org/donate-today

Address

P. O. Box 539
Newport, RI
02840

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