The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-08-29
MUSIC PLAYED AT A CIRCUS.
Different ANIMALS Require Airs Suitable
to Their Motions.

Different Animals Require Airs Suitable
to Their MorIons.
Constructive musicians have no place
in a circus brass band. The player of
an instrument who would travel around
the country in the uniform of the great
est show on earth must have leather
lungs and n good constitution, as well as
musical ability, for it is music that
makes the circus 60, and, as the circus
Is going pretty much all the time, so
must it be with the music.
There is all the difference in the world
between circuits music and a symphony
concert, but the leader of a cicrus band
has to be just as much of an artist in his
way as the leader of n symphony or
chestra. Carl Clair, a composer of
many songs hat have met with popular
favor, has for a long time had charge of
the military band that travels with the
Barnum & Bailey show.
'The music has to be arranged with
special care to each act" said Mr.. Clair,
speaking of his work. "An the trained
animals are particularly sensitive to
music, and so accustomed W. they be-
come to the correct pauses and drum
signals hat if there should be any de-
10y in giving them the animals would
simply wait for them. Take, for in
stance, the entrance of the great herd
of elephants. 1t is preceded by n blare
of music from the band. If the music
was omitted the keepers would have to
drive the beasts in with their prods.
1--WE have to change h musical pro-
gramme in the main several times n sea-
son, for the reason hat performers be-
come tired of the same old tunes and
get l~istless. I make it my business to
pick up all the popular airs of the sea-
Sol and arrange them for the band be-
fore they start out. Lively dance music,
particularly polkas, are needed all
through the show.
ave have to do more than double the
work of an ordinary band. We have,
when on the road, to play for the parade
in the morning; then we play continu-
ously during both afternoon and even
ing performances. l select young men
for the band, as they do not feel the
strain so much as old men, and are
quicker in making the many changes in
uniform required of them.
aerial performers are very captious
about the music we furnish them. They
nearly all want a slow, dreamy waltz
while flying through the air. They
want the pauses made clear and distinct,
as it is largely from them that they take
their cues while making their miduir
leaps. 1 know many of them who Will
stop in the middle of their act if there is
any hitch in the music.
i Heavy grand marches, played as
slow as dirges, are what the elephants
want while they are performing, as
such music suits their slow movements.
There are no animals so susceptible to
music, however, as horses. Marches and
dance music, played slowly and with an
exaggerated staccato, are essential to
their acts, particularly in that thrilling
act when 81 horses perform In con
centric circles. In this act the animals
seem to know just the precise moment
when to move, start or stop by the
strains from the band. So it is with
the ringg horses which II cquestrians
ride. When the music stops they in
stantly come to n halt."-Boston Jour
nal.