The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-16
SCOTCH SONGS AND DANCES
They Formed the Major Portion of
Kilties Band Concert.

AntloS 6and COncorC-
With Highland dances. auld Scotch
tunes, the squeak of bagpipes, the flash
of killed regimentals, the soft sweet
melody of the songs of bonnie Scotland
the regimentaI band of the 48th High
landers of his majesty's government in
Canada made the heart of every lad
and lassie of Bobby Burns land. who
cert at the Auditorium Saturday leap
with pleasure.
And every Scot who attended either
of the concerts was lad or lassie from
the time the band struck up the first
number until the concert closed with
Aud Lang Syne,'' whether his or her
hair happened to be black white.
for they We're all young once more. To
be sure none but a BRAKEMAN could
thoroughly appreciate the entertain
ment. To any but "hoot m on or a
golf player there is about as much
music in a bagpipe as there is in a
piece of tissue paper and big toothed
comb and to any but a loyal Scot the
Highland Fling" the Sword dance"
for the gyrations of some poor mortal
with snakes in his boots, but not so to
the maids and men of Dundee. They
thoroughly understood both, or claimed
they did, and heartily applauded.
The Kilties as touring concert band
does not compare favOrably with other
musical organizations heard in Topeka.
The kilties lack what the others pos
sess The Highlanders' instruments do
not seem to blend as do those of Innes
and Sousa- In fact to compare the
playing of the KiltieS it can truthfully
be said they do not play so well our
own Marshalls band. That was shown
in their handling of Paderewskis
Famous Minuet" in particular Band
master Slater is long on fortiSSinO
passages and short on piano effects.
To say that they do not play as we'll
as Marshalps band is not condemning
them for there are few bands better
than Topeka's own and for a regimenta1
band such as the Kilties profess to be
it is good.
The entertainment given by The Kill
ties is unique. For the most part the
programme is devoted to Scotch airs.
Eugene Lockhart, the boy dancer, does
a variety of Scotch dances in a very
thorough manner Neil McEwen plays
himself red in the face on the bagpipes.
The regimental choir sings such airs
as robin Adair" in a simple and en-
Pertaining manner devoid of all the con-
cert frills that are not understood by
all. Drum Major Donald Mccormack,
seven feet and 800 pounds in SIZE ex-
hibits himself and announces the
marches of the fam GUS Scotch regi-
mentS in two foot voice. Bandmaster
Slater who from a rear view looks
just like Sir Thomas Upton, has not an
ear mark of the concert leader. He is
big, the largest man in the band next
to the drum major He walks with a
stride and awkwardness that brands
him as first class fighting man. He
and the force with which he handled
his baton shows what sort of muscle
the broad sword exercise can produce.
The most pleasing feature of the Kill
ties concert is the absence of THE Ride
of the Valkyries" and kindred compost
lions not appreciated by the average
concert goer. There is an abundance of
such airs as 1.-The Campbells Are Com
ing and Highland Laddie' that the
masses understand and enjoy and the
Kilties played them with dash that
never fails to start everyone to keeping
time. The way the band started in on
a run, skip and a jump with Sousa's
STARS and Stripes Forever was much
the same manner a. circus band on
top of the lions cage would play while
going down Kansas avenue and lodging
trolley wires. 1t would give John
Philip Sousa nervous prostration to
hear it, but taking the entertainment Of
the Kilties as a whole it was a decided