The times., 1899-03-08
BRITISH BANDS
GREAT triumph
Biz House Greets Lieutenant
Godfrey at the Columbia.
Excellent Programme Evokes Much
Enthusiasm.
Conductor SanteImnnn and His
tninment in Full Force.

A distinctly friendly audience-one so
friendly that when both were rendered it
greeted our own The Star Spangled Ban
ner'' with silence that it might compii-
ment its visitors the better by cheering
God Save the Queen"-gathered at the
Columbia yesterday to welcome Lieut..
Dan Godfrey and the British Guards
Band. Besides being kindly disposed, this
assembly was large and fashionable and
might have proven critical had there been
any need for criticism. Director Santel
mann occupied stage box and his organ
ization two rows of orchestra chairs out
of compliment to the foreigners, for
whose skilled work they manifested mu-
sicianly regard.
The band of which Lieutenant Godfrey is
leader numbers about forty men, all OF
whom are clad in handsome uniforms and
who are most prep0ssessing in appearance.
1t was last heard in this country in 1872
when, under the title of the Grenadier
Guards, it formed feature of the Boston
Peace Jubilee arranged by Pat Gilmore.
Many of those in the house last evening
had attended that festival and did not
seem to think that the combination had
deteriorated since its memorable conquest
then.
Yesterdays concert certainly established
the merit of the British Guards both as en-
semble players and as soloists. 1t also
proved Lieutenant Godfrey to be one of the
greatest conductors alive Lieutenant God
frey has his men well in hand and gets
from them the most admirable effects. One
cannot say of the organization under his
direction that the brasses or the reeds or
the stringed instruments come out espc-
cially. but only that the band deserves the
highest praise. II renders its selections
as they might be given on a single mar
velous musical invention capable of pro-
| ducing hundred varieties OF tone in one
we'll blended and perfectly harmonious
| chord. Each of the performers appears
to devote all the spirit and feeling TO his
portion of the whole that might be evinced
were he the whole. and the result Is nota-
bly, good. The visitors do not seem able
TO bring out the fire and force shown by
the Banda Rosa nor quite the swing and
| lightpess in march airs notable in Sousa' s
entertainers. but it strikes the true spirit
of what might be aptly, if inelegantly,
called the coldly classic. One could hardly
| imagine the British Guards playing Car
men as the Italians played it, nor did the
organization equal the American composer
| in rendering one of his numbers, but it
gave William Tell as that selection has
probably never been given here before.
| The shading. the blended coloring, the
| dynamic effects. and the musicianly faith
| fulness of the band are remarkable.
The programme provided ranged from
| Rossin and Mendelssohn TO Gustaye
Kerker and Sousa-from Tschaikowski and
| Clinton to Won Blon. The first and possi-
bly, the, best number was the aforemen-
| toned overture from William Tell and
it was followed by Mendelssohns Songs
Without Words, which was delicately and
| beautifully done. Then came three eX-
| tracts from the ballet suite of Case
| Noisette Miniature. ''Danse
| Chenoise,' and 'Valse des Fleurs." All
were charmingly played. y spirited rem
dering of Under Freedoms Flag won an
encore which brought forth a Sousa march
| this being greeted in a manner more than
| enthusiastic. The Belle of New York -
| unwieldly and clumsy as arranged for
brasses and minus the most band-like of
! its airs, Good Old Glory" came next, but
| evoked no signs of exceptional pleasure on
the part of the audience. The Drummer 5
| Dilemma" " a characteristic bit of Cockney
! humor, which offered the novelty Of pre-
senting a knight of the stick and sheep
! skin as soloist won a round OF applause
| for its author. Mr.. Byrne. y descriptive
nautical fantasia. England and America ="
arranged by Lieutenant Godfrey, brought
! the programme to The StarSpangled
| Banner God Save the Queen, and a
| close.
The soloists of the afternoon were
Messrs Redfern Kettleweu, Stuart Camp
bell. and Benton. Mr.. Redfern contribut-
ed Clinton's Grand Air Varie" skillfully
on the flute and Mr. Kettlewell gave
| Governs The Childrens Home" on the
cornet Both were encored. The other
| two gentlemen assumed distinctive parts
in the rendering Of William Tell"
Perhaps the one disappointment Of tire
concert was in Lieutenant Go1frey's fail
ure to provide any OF his own compost
tons Two of these The Mabel Waltz
and The Guards" both written about
1860. were very popular here at the time
of the directors former visit and many of
his admirers hoped for and expected them
vest erdav.