Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-18
MUSIC FEOM ELGIN.
The Celebrated Factory Band Leads OF at
And1fnrinnrn


Chicago Century, June IS. 1888.
We had just produced our sketch of the
great manufacturing company whose
works have made Elgin so famous, when
it was our privilege to enjoy, in the Con-
vention Hall of the Auditorium the delIc-
ious strains of the Elgin watch factory
band long since specially engaged for this
momentous Republican gathering. The
vast and glittering hall, so full of pre-
occupied and seething humanity, was
scarcely the best place to hear with sat
isfactiOn MendelssOhn IS dainty over
ture to the ''Midsummer Night g
Dream, but the right royal
one of Tannhauser. - and two grandIy
arranged selections of Verdi and Gounod
from T. lombard and Faust respective
ly), exhibited in their stirring passages
such splendid and rhythmical rendering
IS to hush every pulsatiou of the mighty
throng. Well might our brother jour
nalists, in the intervals of their note
taking, exclaim to each other with sup
pressed enthusiasm: ''Hear that glori-
GUS musIc;'' "Finest band in the
world - ''That Hecker is a prince Of
conductors, - and other like enco-
NUNS on the organization and its
their orchestral triumphs at other times
and places. One might almost regret,
indeed, that such admirable harmonies
we're expended on the somewhat in har-
monious politicians, only we of Chicago
hope that when the Auditorium is
settled fact, and cousecrated to assem-
Dlages of quite another kind, we shall
again have the luxury of hearing
in 1t the delightful Elgin band.
Meanwhile a few notes about it, and
its really accomplished chief, will assur-
eddy have some interest for the readers of
our previous article, indicating as they
do strongly the refined tastes of the
watchmakers who dwell in the happy
valley of Fox river, where it might al
most be said there is no place for
1.-THE man who hath not music in his
soul,
And is not moved by the concord of
sweet sounds
Like all orchestras of exceptional merit
''The EIgin Watch Factory Military
Band' is not a temporary or changeful
combination of musicians. On the con-
trary it is a growth-a development-as
are the great Marine band at Washing
ton, D. c., the beautiful Mexican band
also now in this city and the various
royal and military bands that are the
pride of certain European capitals. Con-
sisting now of an ensemble of seventy
six performers, all admirable musicians
and drilled by Professor Hecker into q
sympathetic union of sentiment and exc
cution, this Elgin band was first organ
lied with thirty members in the year
1875. Aiming at no less than the high
est standard of excellence its members
rapidly increased, many amateurs of
considerable skill being attracted
to the Elgin watch works,
chiefly by this opportunity to
enjoy and cultivate their darling science.
Thus the organization became speedily
noted, and the success of its exhibitions
was so marked as to suggest the expedi-
ence of procuring for it director of real
musical eminence, who could give to this
material both soul and form and lead it
on to achievements in the very empyrean
of 1.-the divine art. - For this purpose
Europe was carefully scanned, and the
we'll advised choice fell on the young
bandmaster of the Eighty-second British
regiment, Prince of Wales volunteers,
MIR. J. Hecker. This gentleman was
native of Nassau, Germany, and-well,
born musician. Like all who have
manifested great musical genius he early
showed his prediction, and being placed
ten years of age first violin of an orches-
ira, of which at fifteen he became di-
rector, and so continued, besides being
organist of the cathedral in his native
CITY, until he had reached the mature
age of twenty! Themselves not so gen.
orally musical as their cousins Ger
man. the English are decidedly among
the keenest critics and most liberal
patrons of the art, and to England ac-
cordingly the young professor turned to
seek fame and fortune. He soon won en-
installment of both, being almost imme-
diately chosen as civilian bandmaster of
the regiment above named. Here he at
once delighted the connoisseurs, not only
by the matches discipline of his band,
but by his introduction Of a much higher
order of compositions than had hitherto
prevailed with il and its kindred organi-
cations. He was missionary of his art,
and his admirably arranged selections
spread the infection of his taste. String
BASES, which he was the first to in
corporate INTO a military band, were very
soon familiar in the British regiments,
He put forth hundreds of original COM
positions, charm1ngly conceived, and at
the age of twenty-five amazed the musl-
cal world by arranging for his band the
symphonies of Hadyn and Beethoven,
and published and performed them, too,
with brilIiancy of success that not only |
drowned criticism, but made them
heneeforth feature of the library of
every frst-class band of sufficient nu-
merical strength.
Such is capable gentlemen whom the
Eighties stole from Britain into this
more inspiring climate. And his success
with their band has most nobly justified