Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-26

music; when music loses the element of sugges-
tiveness, of indefniteness and comes down &c
the definite and the actual. she has lost her
HEAVENLY POWER OF INSPIRATION.
We want to be told something in music that is
better than words can tell, that is grander than
waves can beat wild coast, or the wind sing
i'll pine topI But this is all aside. The con-
test at the theater was extremely interesting and
enjoyable. Each OF the three chorals in this
section sang first the same imposed piece, then
one OF their own selection. So differently
was this first piece rendered by the three
choruses it was difficult TO recognize it. One OF
the free selections sung by The Lyons union
was, 1.-THE Sons of Egypt It began with q
wailing chord, telling of heavy burden and
hopeless life; the strain rose higher into the
getfui God; it grew into agony, tumult. then
sudden sharp chord of surprise-and out of
the misery there came strain of hope-louder
and stronger till sure and certain it
swEILED INTO MAD JOY,
and the cries and shouts OF men claiming for
the first time their leader. Moses had come
and was accepted. The tumble Of outing voice
died down into an accompaniment, leaving
one high tenor voice, the voice of prophecy,
to sing a wondrous vision song of a
promised land flowing with milk and
honey; then once again the wild: ecstatic strain
of a people mad with sudden joy, rising and
subsiding into grand march of triumph. and a
final, sure, major chord. This what the
music ,od us, for we understood not a word of
plished by the conce ted action of human voices
under the control of a master thought.
we fastened to find good place from which 10
view the procession, for of course there to
be procession. What big thing is ever accom-
plished without procession. ever will be
while mortal man remains a mortal man and
loves to .sshow off, The large square in front
OF the theater was packed with people, through
which brass bands were struggling to pass,
always playing, OF course. as every we'll
regulated band does when the march, but
affairs have been SO well managed that we never
hear more than two or three playing at the same
time. 1t is not every town than can manage a
hundred and forty six brass bands, or every
hundred and forty-sx brass bands that will be
so managed. What is there so exhilerating
about the music OF a band! That vast crowd
was kept in perfect harmony by the music. and
we were all as excited and delighted as children.
since everybody was IN the square by the the
ater, we would seek another place, we struck
up the hill to the old town, with the process
sion was to pass-but 10!
EVERYBODY WAS EVERYWHERE,
and every flag duItering street was full of happy,
Jolly swarms of people, We did find q good
place. however. near the city hall by corner,
and borrowed some chairs to stand in. 1t was
long hours wait before the procession ap-
peared. and IN the meantime we realized as we
had not before the beauty of the senti-
ment which had prompted that bad poetry
in the Rue de Ia Fontaine. Ali this gaiety of
decoration, this vast concourse of people was
not TO commemorate any bloodshed. nor any
bitterly won political victory, nor to crafty and
fatter the personality of any great man; it was
for nothing but harmony, friendly competi-
ton, to see who could briag forth the most peT-
feet music aud express best the great thoughts
of maste rs. The prizes were not valuable for
the money worth, being given in medals and
gold wreaths, the contest was for honors II
was all pure fun and frienoiiness, both for spec
tators and participants.
THE REAL SUBSTANCE
and life OF any procession Is the brass bsnu /
always did long to see a whole procession of
brass bands, and now, standing on the chairs in
the crowd. We had one whole hour of
nothing else, except the fifty mine choral unions.
which were the next best thing. And il was
such happy procession! Those bands that
were not playing marched by laughing, and
sometimes dancing. Cheering and saluting the
city hall as they passed. Now we know what
the harsellaise can be when played and sung by
Frenchmen, and can well understand how It
thrills and stirs a French heart! One band
choral union following took it up in song; the
next band struck in; another chorus, till the
very flags above were stirred by that
GRAND INSPIRING WAR SONG.
BY The wav, the uniforms of the bands ara very
modest in comparison with our American band
uniforms; lew cords and buttons and stripes
of dark color is all that distinguishes them from
ordinary costumes And as for that chief pride
and glory of an American berd-the drum major
with these bands. All the gorgeousness is
concentrated into the banners, which are Of
heaviest silk or satin. embroidered with gold or
silver thread, and to which all the medals and
wreathes won in contest are affixed. The ban
ners OF some old organizations were half-cov-
cred with gold medals and the tops OF the stats
piled with gold-foi wreatheA
Half an hour sfter the procession we were
standing in the open place by the theater,
thousand voices. The air is 'sMy Country IT'S