Bandmaster Bonicoli

The History of the Norfolk Regiment by F Loraine Petre has an account written by Major S D Shortt, of a well-known bandmaster who dominates the history of band music in the Norfolk Regiment. ‘The first Battalion band was at one period, I believe, about 1870 and onwards, one of the best bands in the service, and any reference to the band I hope will mention the bandmaster, Chevalier V Bonicoli, who brought it to a very high state of efficiency. I remember years ago reading in a paper that in 1864 Mons. Bonicoli was known as one of the finest clarionet players in London. I also remember the story of how at Verdi’s request he conducted an opera of Verdi’s the first time it was produced in Milan before the King of Italy. At the conclusion, M. Bonicoli was summoned to the royal box and the King of Italy took a diamond ring off his finger and attempted to put it on the same finger on M. Bonicoli’s hand, but found the ring too small, and, regretting the fact, was about to replace the ring on his own finger when M. Bonicoli said it would fit his little finger, and so it did, and M. Bonicoli always wore that ring. On guest nights M. Bonicoli always came in for a glass of wine and sat beside the president. Of late years — I am speaking of up to 1905 — the band fell off and had very little support. Very different from the days when M. Bonicoli was bandmaster and Captain John Gillespie took the greatest interest in them. ‘When M. Bonicoli was first made bandmaster he was not enlisted, but subsequently he was, and had, I believe, to be sent to Kneller Hall, and I believe he was at once offered the instructorship of the school, which he refused. He was very popular with the officers and men.’