Nearly 100 people attended the Musical Tribute to the Telephone event in Brantford’s Harmony Square on Friday, July 26, 2024.
The evening event kicked off the “Thanks Mr. Bell” weekend celebration, a series of free events held in honour of the 150th anniversary of the invention of the telephone.
As guests settled in for the night of entertainment, several dignitaries took the opportunity to speak about Alexander Graham Bell and the impact he made on the world.
“Bell’s groundbreaking achievement transformed the way we connect and communicate, reaching distances and bringing people closer together. As we honour this occasion, let us reflect on how Bell’s vision and innovation continues to inspire and shape our world,” said Larry Brock, MP for Brantford-Brant.” From the humble beginnings of that first call to the advanced technologies of today, his legacy reminds us of the power of invention, the endless possibilities and the countless ways it has revolutionized our lives today. Our community has much to be proud of and we are so fortunate that we are able to come together and celebrate significant events like this. To quote Mr. Bell, ‘the day will come when the man at the telephone will be able to see the distant person to whom he is speaking.’ Here, we are able to do that thanks to his innovations.”
David Bailey, Mayor for the County of Brant, also stood to say a few words to the crowd.
“Sometimes when we talk about the telephone, we do it so generally that we don’t understand exactly how important and how big it is that we really did have the invention of the telephone within miles of the spot where we stand here tonight… it really is a big deal,” said David Bailey, Mayor for the County of Brant. “It’s changed the world and I can’t imagine anything that’s changed the world more than the telephone and we should be very happy to be a part of that history and we should celebrate it loud and we should celebrate it often.”
After an official declaration from David McKee, Brantford’s Town Crier, members of the Avalon Music Academy of Brantford took to the stage to perform several hit songs in relation to the telephone or making phone calls.
Darren Dsouza, co-owner of Avalon Music Academy of Brantford, and his son, Jacob Dsouza, opened their set with “867-5309 / Jenny” by Tommy Tutone, followed by Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”
Throughout the evening, Avalon Music Academy students like Liam Leduc and Brent Wilson, also went on stage to perform various songs such as the Barenaked Ladies’ “Call and Answer,” and The Beatles’ “You Won’t See Me” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”
To end the night, Jacob and Darren were joined by Darren’s daughter, Kayleigh, to sing Electric Light Orchestra’s hit song, “Telephone Line.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
