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The duo Musica Nostra was formed officially in late 1999 by Dick
Hull and Larry Hipps. Dick had for years been looking for the right partner to join
him in playing the vast collection of mandolin and mandolin orchestra arrangements left
him by his Italian grandfather, Giovanni (John) Napoleone, in Niagara Falls, NY. He and Larry
had known each other for several years, but had never found the time to get together on
this project, except for one performance with the Lenoir-Rhyne College Concert Band on
November 17, 1998, playing a zither part from Strauss' "Tales from the Vienna Woods
Waltz" on mandolin and mando-cello. But Larry proved to be just the person Dick
had been looking for, having the talent on so many instruments, and the interest in the
music.
They began rehearsing in late 1999, and made their debut on December 31, 1999, at a private New Year's Eve party in Hickory, NC. Then tragedy struck! Dick's colleague and good friend Larry passed away suddenly on April 14, 2000, leaving a huge empty space in the Hickory area music scene. Well known for his work with Puddingstone as well as a member of the pit orchestra for numerous area theater productions, Larry was loved by so very many people, and will be sorely missed. The original Musica Nostra duo is but a memory. But Larry will always be remembered. And toward that end, this site remains as a memorial to a dear friend, wonderful musician, and all-around good person, Larry Hipps. The following is a slightly edited version of our original web site:
The original Musica Nostra consisted of:
- Dick Hull -- mandolin, mandola, guitar, bass
- Larry Hipps -- guitar, mandolin, mandola, mando-cello, bass
playing traditional Italian and American music, classical music, and jazz & swing standards. They drew upon a wealth of arrangements for mandolin orchestra from the first half of the 20th Century, most of which were compiled by Dick's grandfather, Giovanni (John) Napoleone and his brother Domenico. (Click here for a Napoleone Brothers photo.) These arrangements included old Italian pieces, classical selections, opera overtures, ragtime numbers, original compositions, marches and novelty pieces. In addition, Dick and Larry supplied their own arrangements of popular standards, jazz & swing, and traditional American music.