from across the Lower Mainland to play at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, where they would compete against the very best school bands in the USA, and most importantly, his objective was to win. During Dal’s visit to Chicago he was exposed to some of the greatest big bands in America. He and fellow band member Jack Bensted would slip away to ballrooms and with a woeful look convinced head waiters that they were a couple of boys from Vancouver in town for a band competition, and would like to listen to the band for awhile. It usually worked. As for the Kitsilano Boys Band, Delamont’s high hopes for the band proved correct, the band from Vancouver beat them all. This led to a trip to England in 1934 for the Kitsilano Boys Band where Dal and Bensted once again took the opportunity to listen to as many big bands a possible, again with a tug of the head waiter’s sleeve accompanied by the mastered woeful look.
He grew up in Marpole, and can rattle off addresses and dates at the drop of a hat. If not for a slingshot his incredible musical career (which has spanned eight decades) may never have transpired. Nine-year-old Dal was on his way home from David Lloyd George Elementary with a group of friends who were all playing with slingshots. As he raced along the sidewalk he tripped, with his slingshot in hand. One prong pierced his left eye, which he later lost. The treatment in those days involved being kept in a dark room for days on end to let the good eye adjust. During this time young Dal slumped into a depression, however, his wise doctor suggested that perhaps Dal’s parents consider channelling his energy into music lessons, and before long he was playing his first instrument, the clarinet. This opened the door to Dal’s keen interest in music. His first memory of Kerrisdale “being a desirable place to go” was when he would take the Interurban to watch Saturday matinees at the movie theatre formerly located at West Boulevard and W. 41st Avenue. Dal recollects admission being a dime. He smiles when he mentions the Douglas Fairbanks cliffhanger endings that kept him coming back for more. By age 15 Dal’s musical proficiency was of such a high calibre that he auditioned for the renowned Kitsilano Boys Band organized by bandleader Arthur Delmont. This new venture was not limited to students from Kitsilano High School. Delmont’s mission was to select the best young musicians February 15 - April 14, 2014
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