both of which he had trained, took a special train to the temperance summer festival at Ishpeming and both choruses won the first prize in their class. From 1906 the male chorus rehearsed at the workers' hall, and its activity from that time on was within the framework of the socialist society, which also had its own mixed chorus. The mixed chorus, by the way, had a successor, begun by Kristiina Herranen in 1929.

Almost simultaneously with the choruses, brass bands were also given their start in Ely. They, too, continued in existence for long years, even if with many changes of name and membership. Once more according to Mäenpää, the first band was started in 1890 by Oskar Castren, "who was its conductor for some time." After him, presumably, came `Nick' Miettunen, who resigned in 1894 and was succeeded by John Farihoff. On the other hand, Matti Edward Pyylampi (Matt P. Lampi) made the statement in an interview with E. A. Aaltio in 1950 that he was present when the Ely Finnish band was started - in 1894. According to him, it was conducted in its earliest years by Erkki Laitila, Jack Castren, Oskar Castren, and Kalle Kleimola (read: Kleemola.) Both statements, however, contradict the account of S. Ilmonen, made 30 years earlier than the others, in his Sivistyshistoria, according to which the Ely band was started in 1889 by Nikolai Miettunen, and there are other sources which support Ilmonen's claim and thus make Ely's band one of the earliest Finnish-American bands in existence. Information in the Suomi Opisto archives also supports the Ilmonen account and furnishes biographical details about Miettunen : born in the parish of Simo in 1862, he is said to have arrived in America in 1887, to have started bands in Ishpeming and Republic in Michigan, after which he moved to Ely, "where the band he organized is one of the oldest Finnish-American bands." According to Mäenpää, the Ely band had Viglund and then Erick Laitala as successors to Farihoff, and other sources confirm Mäenpää's statement that K. Kleemola was the conductor of the band during the Ishpeming festival appearances, where they won first prize. Mäenpää goes on to say that "Matti Pyylampi awakened the band out of a torpor in 1904," that Liimatainen directed the group until it came to an end in 1907. After that, once more according to Mäenpää, "Itkonen arrived here in 1910 and started a band," while Pulli was told in interviews that "Kleemola started a 30-man band which was later to become the municipal band," and finally, it is known that John Salo in 1929 began a small orchestra which went on to play for several years.

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