Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-09-05
Mus,o PLAYED At CIRCUS.
Different Animals Require Airs suit.
obIe TO Their Motions.


Different Animals Require Airs salt.
able to Their Motions.
Consumptive musicians have no place
In a circus brass hand. The player Of
nm instrument who would travel around
the country in the uniform Of the Great.
est Slow ON Earth must have leather
lungs and n good constitution, rs we'll
Us musical ability. for 1t Is music that
makes the circus 20, and. as the circus
is going pretty much all the time, 20
must II be with the music.
There Is oil the difference In the
world between circus music and sym.
phony concert. but the leader Of q cir.
Gus hand Inns to be Just as much Of an
artist In his way as the lender Of sym.
phony orchestra. Carl Clair, a com.
poser of many songs that have met
with popular favor, has for long time
had charge Of the military band that
travels with the Barnum 4 Bailey
show.
''rhe music has to be arranged with
special care to each act" said Mr.. Clair,
speaking Of his work. All the trained
animals are particularly sensitive 10
music, and 20 accustomed have they be-
come to the correct pauses and drum
signals that II there should he any delay
In giving them the animals would sim.
ply wait for them. Take, for instance,
the entrance Of the great herd Of ele.
plants. 1t Is preceded by blare Of
music from the band. II the music was
omitted the keepers would have to
drive the beasts in with their prods.
I'VE have to change the musical pro-
gram In the main several times q sea.
son, for the reason that performers be-
come tired Of the same old tunes and
get llstless. I make II my business to
pick up all the popular airs Of the
seasOn and arrange them for the band
before we start OUT. Lively dance mu.
sic, particularly pollas, are needed all
through the show.
Eve have to do more than double the
work Of ar ordinary band. We have.
when on the road, to play for the
parade In the morning; then we play
continuously during both afternoon
and evening performances. I select
young men for the hand, as they do not
feel the strain 20 much a. old men,
and ore quicker In making the many
changes in uniform required Of them.
aerial performers are very captioua
about the music we furnish them. They
nearly all want q slow. dreamy waits
while flying through the air. They want
pauses made clear and distinct, - II
y largely from them that they take
their cues while making their midai,
leaps. know many Of them who will
stop In the middle Of their act II thers
II any hitch In the music.
"Heavy grand marches played q
Glow as dirycs. are what the elephants
want while they are performing, a
such music suits their slow movements
There are no animals 20 susceptible u
music, however. - horses. Marche,
and dance music. played slowly and
with IN exaggerated staccato. arc 60
sent;al totheir acts, particularly In thai
thrilling act when nfty.one horses per
form In concentric circles. In this act
the animals seem to know Just the Pre-
else moment when to move, start Of
stop by tho strains from the band. 81
II II with the ring horses which III,
equestrians ride. When the music stop
they instantly come to halt."-Bostor
Journal.