Ossman Takes on Pryor’s Rats

[Shawn McSweeny]

“The White Rats” March & Two-Step, composed by Arthur Pryor, was first recorded by Sousa’s Band for Victor in 1900. The score was published in 1901 and recorded the same year by Ossman for Edison.

Some time later, the banjo score was published in the UK, titled “White Hussars” and Ossman was miscredited as composer.

So who were the “White Rats” Pryor was referring to? Perhaps to cute rodents in a child’s bed-time story, but possibly also to the White Rats Union of America, a labour union of male vaudeville performers (largely musicians), started in 1900, who organized for fairer treatment by theatre managers and agents.

 Fred Hylands, rag-time pianist, entertainer and sometime Ossman accompanist (mentioned in a recent post), had progressively greater involvement with the Rats and was elected to its 12 member Board of Directors in 1913. There is no evidence Ossman was involved with the union directly, but in being a musician and workmate of Hylands, it’s hard to imagine he was unaware of it. The inclusion of this piece within his repertoire may suggest where his sympathies lay.

And what of its publication in the UK as “White Hussars”?  

Clifford Essex was eager to publish as much of Ossman’s repertoire as he could.  He may have altered the title mindful of the many social elites among his teaching clientele.  Publishing a score celebrating rats of any description in Edwardian London would be a social faux-pas and alienate his upper crust clients.  Additionally, a changed title and authorship would obscure US copyright and royalty obligations.  

Essex likely borrowed his title from a then-popular Rudyard Kipling story, “The Rout of the White Hussars”, penned in 1888, and read by most schoolboys grown to adulthood by 1900. The tale involves a top-notch, but fictional, British regiment of horse cavalry.  The UK title does suit the pomp and majesty of the music.

I can’t offer an Ossman performance for this one, but would be delighted if someone has the recording and adds it to the discussion.

Here is a digital playback of the score: 

THE WHITE RATS Score Playback

The banjo score, now correctly titled and credited, is provided in standard notation and TAB.

[Joel Hooks]

Here is Lansing's arrangement.

[Joel Hooks]

HA!  I just looked at the Pryor version to compare and realized that they are two completely different pieces!  Carry on, just ignore my post.

[Trapdoor2]

Works for me, Joel. I call that a 'twofer'. Two pieces for one post!

===Marc

[Trapdoor2]

And...here's a MIDI of Lansing's arrangement of Effie Kamman's "Dance of the White Rats" ("Effie" was my great-grandmother's first name too).

This is a neat little number until it gets to the C part...which is oddly syncopated and feels like it stumbles a bit compared to the rest. Perhaps the rats had been dancing too much and got tired...

If anyone is interested, I have TAB of both parts.