The evening times., 1898-08-20
AaumALDos BAND.
Ons sf the Best Musical Organi.a-
tiOnn In the World.

one Of the Best Musical Organiua-
ti0ns In the World.
One Of the surprises In store for the
Americans who went to the Philippines
with Gen. Anderson was Aguinaldo's
band. which made Its first impression on
the Fourth Of July. In describing the
hardships of the long journey across the
Pacific and the trouble and delays in un-
loading the great troopships. the Sun
correspondent suddenly heard music. and
this is what he says about II:
There may not be gains for all our
losses, but surely there are for some OF
them. The thing which 1t was least ex-
pected we should find out here is here.
good music. A wonderful band marched
up the muddy Gale de San Francisco
from Aguinaldo's headquarters this morn
ing and for an hour serenaded Gen. An
derson with playing that would set the
music lovers of New York wild with ex-
citement.
1.-The average Filipino does not present
the appearance of a musician or a music
lover. But for his bright. intelligent
eyes he would look like a stupid Pata-
gonian sheep herder. There are few mu-
steal instruments in the native villages.
Once in a while one runs across an old
tin-pan-toned cracked piano horribly out
of tune. and two or three places have
harps. But this band, composed entirely
of Filipinos, Is worthy to rank with the
bands of the world. 1t was the famous
military band Of Manila, where it used
to furnish classic music on the Luneta
when the 'aristocratic Spaniards went out
for their evening drive or promenade
And cccas ionally, or oftener. IL was turned
out to play while a few dozens Of the nu-
sicians' people were shot for the edihca-
ton of the multitude on the charge OF
sympathizing with insurrection or some
other trumped-up accusation.
In Manila there were seventy-two
members. Sixty of them managed TO get
away with their Instruments and music
This morning forty-eight played on the
little plaza in front OF Gen. Andersons
headquarters. And such playing! 1t was
recompense for every discomfort. every
vexaiion every disappointment. every
hardship of 1900 miles in a troopship, the
last 5000 at half steam in a tropic sea-
You shut your eyes and heard the orches-
ira of the royal opera at Vienna, the
great Budapest band, the famous military
band In Berlin. the Boston Symphony at
its best, Seidrs finest work. anything IN
the world With never a note in front OF
them, they played what you liked, any
part Of any opera. the grandest music
ever written. or a simple Strauss waltz
or a folksong. And the lass drummer was
the leader. You viii never hear a bass
drum really played until you hear that
Filipino do it. He makes a bass drum
talk. sing. cry. shout. 1t fits the mood
and movement Of the music. II is subor
dinate or dominant. soft, subdued, or loud
and roaring: 1t laughs and chuckles like
thing alive; 1t raves and protests like
an angry soldier, and all in perfect har
mony and symphony with the rest. The
ambition of the average bass drummer
is to develop the muscles in his arms. He
pounds the uncomplaining drum as If he
were swinging clubs for exercise. But
with this Filipino it is a science and an
art. and he is master of both.
II, is curiously organized band--one
bass drum. two snares. Tyre five tubas
eleven saxaphones. big and little: eleven
clarinets. eight comets. one ballad horn.
and four altos and tenors. They played
songs from Faust and I sat again in
the Metropolitan Opera House and heard
and saw the vast audience get to its feet
with frantic cheers when Calve and the
two de Reszkes finished the prayer song.
They played. but no telling describes
what they played. Come out when We
take Manila and sit under the arc lights
on the Luneta and hear them play for
yourself The 1000 miles You have come
from New York will drift away into moth
ing. and you will hear only the music and
be glad you are alive"