Antonio de la Mora

Antonio de la Mora y Hernández (12 March 1884 – 9 May 1926 Kansas City, Missouri) was a Mexican-born virtuoso cornetist, composer, music educator, publisher, and influential military band director who served as Chief Musician "(aka" bandmaster) in elite Army bands of three countries – in Mexico: (i) the Mexican Army 6th Infantry Band; in the United States: (ii) the U.S. Army 21st Infantry Band stationed at Fort Logan, Colorado, and (iii) the U.S. Army 20th Infantry Band at Fort Douglas, Utah, the Philippines (island of Mindanáo at Ludlow Barracks), Honolulu at Schofield Barracks, and El Paso, Texas, at Camp Cotton; and in Canada (as a U.S. citizen): (iv) the Canadian Expeditionary Force 97th Battalion Band.
In de la Mora's post-military career, he served as an educator and bandmaster of YMCAs and Shriners of several cities. In particular, he organized (i) the amateur military band at the Salt Lake City YMCA in 1913, (ii) the Kem Shrine and YMCA of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and (iii) the Hamasa Temple Shrine Band of Meridian, Mississippi.
Career highlights.
De la Mora grew up in Tepic. He studied music at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, completing in five years the regular eight years, graduating with distinction.
1908, Fort Logan, Colorado.
In 1908, De la Mora was with the 21st Infantry Band stationed at Fort Logan – near Denver. The 21st Infantry Band, 4 years earlier based at Fort Snelling, under the direction of Charles W. Graves (born about 1864 Kenton, Ohio), was one of seven military bands selected to perform at the Saint Louis World Fair of 1904.
February 4, 1908, he was promoted to Sergeant. On March 21, 1909, he was appointed Acting Chief Musician. On May 5, 1909, he was appointed Chief Musician and left the service December 16, 1909, at that position. He re-enlisted that same day, December 16, 1909, in the 20th Infantry at Fort Douglas, Utah — just a few miles east of Salt Lake City. He was appointed Principal Musician, pending the discharge of then Bandmaster.
Around 1910, Philippines.
Around 1910, while serving as Vice Head Musician, he was with the 21st U.S. Infantry in the Philippines, on the island of Mindanáo at Ludlow Barracks. July 1, 1911, he was appointed Chief Musician.
While in the Philippines, De la Mora was on the "Sick List" of enlisted personnel: Admitted February 10, 1910, Return to duty March 25, 1911, in Manilla. (note: When admitted, De La Mora was listed as being in the 20th Infantry)
Honolulu, Hawaii.
September 4, 1911, de la Mora arrived in Honolulu from the Philippines aboard the U.S. Army Transport Sherman with his 19-piece military band. As Head Musician of the 20th Infantry Band, they performed in Hawaii as late as October 1911. He was discharged December 25, 1911.
Salt Lake City.
De a Mora Organized an amateur military band at the Salt Lake City Y.M.C.A. in 1913.
1914, El Paso, Texas.
Beginning towards the end of 1913, and throughout 1914, De la Mora and the 20th Infantry Band, with the 20th Regiment from Fort Douglas, was stationed at Camp Cotton, a sub-post of Fort Bliss in El Paso. The 20th Infantry Band was on patrol duty on the Mexican border.
Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Before the United States entered World War I, the Canadian Expeditionary Force recruited Americans to fill ranks of the 97th Battalion, one of five American Legion battalions that had greatly deteriorated. The other four battalions were the 212th, the 211th, the 213th, and the 237th.
Meridian, Mississippi.
De la Mora resided in Meridian, Mississippi, for a few months during 1918. While there, he published his book, "Cornetist Alphabet," and organized the Hamasa Temple Shrine Band. He remained in Meridian until about late-November-early-December when he married Susan May Stennis (maiden; 1899–1973) in Meridian and, with her, moved to New Orleans for his work as a musician. When he signed his World War I Draft Registration on September 12, 1818, he provided the name of his wife, Amanda de la Mora, and his address at 817 24th Avenue (between 8th and 9th Streets), Meridian, Mississippi, an address that corresponds to the site upon which the Hamasa Temple was built in 1924. The Meridian Shriners contracted the Saenger organization to design, build, and operate the auditorium in their building. The Saenger organization was the same organization that designed, built, owned, and operated the Strand in New Orleans, where de la Mora began working in 1918.
Strand Theatre Orchestra, New Orleans.
Beginning late-November-early-December 1918, De la Mora worked as a musician in New Orleans in the Concert Orchestra under the direction of Don Philippini "(né" Salvatore Philippini; 1870–1950) of the recently built Strand Theater. The Strand, no longer in existence, was at the corner of Baronne and Gravier Streets for about 53 years.
On February 9, 1919, de la Mora seemingly tried to commit suicide by leaping eighteen feet to the street from the second-story window of the newspaper editorial room of the "New Orleans States" building at 619 Canal Street. News accounts attributed de la Mora's distress to a prior nervous breakdown from overwork and marital unhappiness relating to disagreements with in-laws. De la Mora, about two months earlier, had married Susan May Stennis "(maiden;" 1899–1973) in Meridian, Mississippi. Soon after marrying, they moved to New Orleans and resided at 611 St. Charles Street (at Lafayette Square).
Wichita Kansas.
In 1925, Antonio de la Mora was living in Wichita, Kansas, at 1665 North Waco Avenue with his wife, Martha, and two sons, Antonio, Jr., and Adolphus. He was working there as a music teacher. He resided with his family at 2239 North Laurel Street.
Kansas City, Missouri.
De la Mora moved to Kansas City, Missouri, around December 1925 to organize the Mexican Band of the Unión Cultural Mexicana (U.C.M.) in Kansas City's Westside at 1017 West 24th Street. He trained a 45-piece band composed mostly of youth from the community. De la Mora, with Martha (1903–1983), Antonio, Jr. (1922–1985), and Adolfo (born 1934) – his wife and two sons – resided at 2322 Monitor Place. The Mexican communities in Wichita and Kansas City were viewed somewhat as colonies for Mexican exiles.
Death in Kansas City, Missouri.
Antonio de la Mora died May 9, 1926. Dr. Nicolás Jaime (1885–1965) (surname pronounced "high-me" with the accent evenly divided) was the attending physician who signed the death certificate. He and Dr. Othoniel de Rivas y Jaén (1890–1973), a Granada, Nicaragua-born chiropractor, held a funeral vigil for Antonio de la Mora May 22, 1926, at the U.C.M.
Dr. Jaime, a co-founder of the U.C.M., days earlier had signed a US$2,500 bail bond () for Jorge Prieto Laurens (1895–1990), who was elected and served as interim governor of San Luis Potosí in 1923 for one year, was indicted in San Antonio and arrested on February 28, 1926, in Kansas City, on a charge by the Mexican government that he had, as part of the Huerta faction, participated in a plot to overthrow (another revolution) the then present Mexican regime, a government for which, diplomatically, the United States was on friendly terms. Dr. Jaime, himself, was a 1915 Mexican exile. But as a community member, in 1958, he was named "Man of the Year" by the Kansas City Academy of General Practice.
Memorial band.
In 1927, after the death of Antonio de la Mora, the "Antonio de la Mora Band," directed by Alfredo Antonio González Flores (1904–1983), continued to perform in Kansas City. González, who had arrived early 1904 in Kansas City to assist with teaching music in the Mexican community, went on to become an influential music educator at Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango.
Selected compositions.
Carl Fischer
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Notes and references.
Original copyrights.
"Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 3, Musical Compositions, New Series", Library of Congress, Copyright Office