The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-20
1T BECAME A CARNIVAL
GREAT AUDIENCE ENTHUSIASTIC
OVER SOUSA AND HIS BAND.
The First Good O~ppOrtunity the PeO-
pie Had to Really Appreci-
ate the Music.

The last of the series Of four concerts
by the Sousa Band, given last night at
the fair grounds, was the most pleasure
able and distinctive. The first concert was
disturbed by the racing, which distracted
the audience and the players. Wednesday
night the cold was bitter. Yesterday after
noon the arranged programme was swept
aside for memorial exercises in honor of
the dead President. Last night the weather
was cool enough to be eXhilarating; the
grand stand was almost filled and people
were massed near by on either side of and
on the track.
The lights of the carriages on the race
course specked the darkness, which was
intense beyond the gas lamps above the
heads of the musicians. The grand stand
was brilliantly lighted. With all the favor
able circumstances the concert became a
carnival, and the throng was delighted.
The programme began with the overture
of Wagner's "Tannhauser," which was fol-
lowed by Bonnisseau's Robert Bruce an
arrangement of Scotch songs and dance
music, and a trombone solo, Love
Thoughts" by Arthur Pryor. played by
the composer. a slender young man that
has been a member of the Sousa Band for
a long time. Next came Mr.. Sousa's SYM
phonic poem, The Chariot Race" founded
on "Ben-Hur." A bugle call from some
where in the gloom east of the grand
stand began it, and the description ran
through the roaring of the chariot wheels
and the gallOping horses hoofs On the
arenas floor to the victory of the hero
driver at the end of the home stretch.
Massenet's I'm Carnival Time closed the
first part of the concert. During the in
PERMISSION many of the Members of the
great audience left their seats and strolled
along the narrow passageway.
THE SECOND PART.
The second part of Ithe concert began
with an Italian composition and then turned
to a cornet solo by Herbert L. Clarke.
whose tone gymnastics were applauded
heavily. a selection from Mr.. Sousa's
opera, 1.-THE Bride Elect was played and
this was followed by Liebling's Sparkling
Women" and Mr.. Sousa's new march, 1.-THE
Invincible Eagle" which he introduced at
each of his concerts here. At one part the
piccolo players marched to the front of
the platform and led the band, and a quar-
tet of trombones took up the strain after
the pipes. The march ended with the usual
fanfare. The programme, with the encores.
had been long and a part of the au-
dience left Mr.. Sousa standing amid
his brasses. not i~napprOpriately, perhaps.
but unfortunately, for the next number
was the introduction to the third act of
'Lohengrin,' and the Wagner scheme in
which the individuality of each instrument
is recognized and led into the whole tone
picture to play a part was in fine contrast
to the cruder compositions that ignored
the resources OF the band.
To close the concert the band rose to its
feet and played The Star-spangled BAN
ner," and the audience left applauding.
Every one seemed pleased with the series
of concerts. Some music OF the higher
class had been played and appreciated to a
degree, and If the rag-tinle pieces and the
Sousa marches had received most applause
1t was true, too, that they had been well
played. In responding to the hearty en-
cores after the uprOarious receptions of the
rag-time songs and cakewalks, Mr.. SOusa
smiled under his beard. and the smile was
suggestive of the smile OF John Drew.
when, after several Improbable years in
artistic plays in the provinces" he was
called before the curtain by great audiences
last winter. after the blaring OF the melo-
drama. Richard Carvel."