The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-23
NO RACTIME
MUSIC NOW.
Popular Songs Will Be Barred
in Future from New York Piers
COMMISSIONERHAWKES SPEAKS
Rencsfurih All Bands Hired By City Must
Al. Play 0aIy Classical Compositions
on Water Front
COMMISSIONERHAWKESS

New York, May 2s.-commissioner Nc
Dougall Hawkes.. OF the department. or
docks and ferries yesterday signed the
death knell of "rag-time" music on New
York's seven recreation piers. Hence
forth, IL is declared. the music must be
more classical. None OF the $4,000 which
the city spends for summer music for the
poor will go for "coon songs"
The department OF docks and ferries.
which by the charter is censor OF music
along the water front will reform the
program and seek to improve the taste
of the thousands who flock to the piers
for rest and enjoyment.
How the poor children will like the
change remains TO be seen. What they
will say about the the substitution of
wagner's "Rienzi' for "On Sunday
Afternoon Commissioner Hawks, per-
haps, will find out later.
Areporter talked TO musicians and band
masters yesterday about the reform
music" and decovered that the manner
of letting the music contract has been
totally changed by the present admins
tration.
Under the Tammany regime. which, say
the musicians, was not over-distinguished
by it's competent critics OF Wagner. Gou-
nod and Beethoven. ten bands were hired
for the recreation piers. Ech band, tax
ing it's turn played sixteen weeks of n
total of 100 weeks. The McDougall
Hawkes. method calls for 35 bands. each
playing four weeks. or at total of lao
weeks.
IL was learned last night that the
Aschenbroedel Neren, the musicians
club, at IA East Eighty-sixth street, that
the following bands would be left out
of the arrangements of the department
OF docks and ferries: Boswald's band.
which for three summers played at tho
pier at the foot of East One Hundred
and Twelfth street; William Bayne
Sixty-ninth Regiment band, the band OF
David Brahm, who during the winter 10
| leader of the orchestra at Wallack's the
atre; George Franks Twelfth Regiment
| band, Charles Crowley's Eighth Regi-
| ment band and Paul Hennabergs
| Twenty-second Regiment band
| Although the IS contracts have been
| awarded TO the successful applicants.
| their names were not made public yes
| terday. Commissioner Howkes was OUT
| OF town. Secretary Sibley said for him.
Yes IL is the idea TO get rid of as much
| as possible of the rag-time music and fur
nish the people better class of conn
positions.
BETTER MUSIC IMPOSSIBLE.
John A. Boswald said last night:
Under the present system, it will 90
impossible, in my opinion, for the band
engaged for four weeks TO play the bet
| ter class of music. Ii is impossible TO
organize a good band. furnish IL with uni
| forms and a library OF any value. and
then limit to four weeks pay from the
Aa aoVtxt ant nv ant
| its program? The men who play for four
| weeks will certainly not be classical musi-
clans. AS a matter of fact, we all know
| that the assignments have been made on
| a political basis. One man who was
| drummer, and not a very good drummer
at that went 10 his district leader and
| through him secured one of the contracts.
| He may be able to lead rag-time, but
| doubt II he will be able to carry out the
| classical program"
| The decision of the department OF
docks and ferries has stirred up the
musicians of the city. who are organized
| into the Musical Mutual Protective union.
| having headquarters at Ninetieth street
and Third avenue. One of the authors
predicted popular uprising
SOME RAGTIME MUSIC CLASSICAL
T. b. Harms, the Twenty-second street
| music publisher. said:
1
| 'ragtime' music. they will have to ta-
| bee many OF the classics. 'Ragtfme' -
| nothing more than syncopated time. and
| II is a form used often by the masters
! AS understand II. the object of the mus
sic at the pier. is TO please the people
| How IL can be aone by abandoning thest
popular melodies. don't see"
| Charles Kurth, vice president OF the
| Aschenbroedel Verein. said
II think that some of the rag time
| music is cheap and vulgar. and that
| there ought TO be Improvement In the
| music at the piers, but i'm my Judgment.
! II would be foolish 10 leave out what we
/ call 'shoofy music. which includes tho
/ rag-time' melodies"
In this connection the people Of Abing-
don square are wondering IL they are
| again To hear Kitty Rampone. the daugh-
| ter Of the late leader of the Old Guard
| band She has sung for the thousands
who gather about the band stand there
since she was a child of IL. When her
| father used 10 play popular airs. tho
| children pressing close about would JOIN
| i'm the melody, often making havoc with
| the time. Leader Ramponc saved the
situation by having his little daughter
| lead the children, and after that she was
an institution Of the public concerts.