Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1902-01-17
SOUSA'S FOREIGN TRIP
Experiences of the Celebrated
Eandnaster In Engla1d.
KEPT Up ILL E-GIF EYT-E EIH1

KEPT UP all E1CIT LY TIE EIgG
Musician Tells Row Els Band Wa,
Treated In Edward WIS Buffet
Car the Way to S2Ddrina
and Back Again TO Loneon-2reeE
Liked RaStime Tunes Eest.
Jol1 Philip Sousa, the celebrated
-o... oser : I'd bandmaster. visited Phil
sdel hia few days ago. When Nr
so4..I arrived in the city, he immedi-
ate called upon ex-Judge Gordon, az
old friend. with whom he took dinner
III the evening. The greater part of the
famous conductors time in the city
was given up TO the task of telling how
he played before King Edward OF
Great Britain on his recent trip &c
England. During his visit many prom
inent men met Mr.. Sousa in eX-Judge
Gordon's office, and as each said. Tel
me all about it," Mr.. Sousa had to re
hearse the story a score or more times.
LET me tell you how King Edward
kept my band out until O'Clock i'll the
morning." said Mr.. Sousa to a reporter
L
nice thing for a king to do. isn't it:
Well. you see. we met King Edward
and Queen Alexandra in London on
Dec. L. The king had arranged with
me to hold a concert at Sandringham
palace on that day. as it was the fifty
seventh birthday anniversary of Queen
Alexandra.
"A special train was in waiting. To-
gether with the royal party. many
members Of the nobility went along
That train was certainly an indication
of England's democracy. After we had
been out of London for three minutes
you couldn't have told bandmap
from knight of the Garter.
lone Of the main features Of the spe
cial train was the buffet car. That was
the reason why the king Of England
kept my band out until a. m. 1t was
certainly feast that they had in store
for us. don't suppose you could men
tiou wine that wasn't there. The mu-
sicians held in well. though. on the up
trip, because t~ay felt that they We're
representing America. but King Ed
ward kept them eating and drinking.
Say. he's jolly fellow!
81 was very much worried. but when
/ arrived at Sandringham | found that
the band was still intact Our pro-
sramme was true American from the
start to finish. | had determined that
/ would let the king see that we had
good native music.
'.Of course we had to play God Save
the King because that is required at
all court entertainments. But we eased
nj,
again under the title of America. and
do you know the king never betrayed
the slightest sign that he noticed that
the tunes were the same.
Little Prince Edward of York want
ed to come TO the concert. but ! didn't
have the honor of playing to him. as
his nurse objected. The little fellow
made noise and went away crying
that if he couldn't hear 'ragtime' by
my band he'd have some played on his
phonograph. Later | found that while
| was holding my concert the boy was
having one by himself up stairs.
II never felt so much at home in al
my life at concert The king made
me feel at ease. Everything was in.
formal The chairs OF the royal mem
bers of the party and those of the no
bility were placed in artistic confusion
and in gallery"-here Mr.. Sousa used
a term which must be bad form at
court-'and in a gallery there was 3
gang of court attaches.
..All the music seemed to take with
the king. The queen and all the Other
royal ladies seemed to like the rag,
time best. They clapped like gallery
gods when I played 'Whistling Rufus
But the king seemed best pleased with
Hands Across the Sea- ! guess be
thought Of that old SAY that blood is
thicker than water.
We'll. after the concert proper haC
concluded. the royal equerry notified |
me that his majesty the king wished Il |
speak with me- King Edward sale |
some awfully nice things about Amer |
lean music and particularly the mum |
bers | had rendered. Then"-here came
another word not in the court dictiona |
ry-"then he yanked out a Victorian /
medal silver medal such as is givei |
to men considered of high artistic mer
it. He asked me to accept it as to
ken of the respect of himself and tn,
queen.
My. but l was embarrassed. I SUP
pose that the bowl made was yer,
awkward. When | went back to the
music stand. the band men heightened
my confusion. All through the mex
number-which l played as an encore
SO 10 speak, heard small voices say
ing. 1 wonder what the king gave
him.
Then the Prince of Wales came for
ward and asked that let him pin tn.
medal on my coat. Did l do it, Well
couldn't refuse him. l don't believe
any other American musician was ever
honored SO highly. am sure that an
the first TO receive a decoration
Then with the king we started back
for London The king had directed tina