The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-13


evening, and in spite of Cincinnati's
reputation as a musical city, these con-
certs drew from 12,0O0 TO 10 900 people
concerts the best elements
Of Cincinnatis population were
there doubling the attendances
at Wagner and Symphony con-
certs. At the Buffalo exposition and in
every city in the United States and
Canada where Brooke's band has play
ed, 80 per cent of the requests for mu-
sic have been for the rag-time selec-
tons
Mr.. Brooke's standing as a composer
Of popular music has given him a voice
to be heard on the subject. Especially
is his opinion valuable when it is con-
sidered that not one bar Of rag-time
music occurs in his compositions. and
that while he does not defend it, ne
makes II plain that rag-time music is
with the people for all time. Mrs.
James. L. Blair, a society leader of ST.
Louis, declared in public address last
spring that the Missouri metropolis is
a "rag-time" city, and in the following
talk the bandmaster agrees with her
a. 10 all cities being in the category.
Rag time" said Mr.. Brooke, lis now
the most generally mooted of all
themes among musicians, but why such
a subject should threaten to disturb
the Chicago federation Of musicians is
rather difficult to understand when
considered from an intelligent ana I'M
prejudiced standpoint. During the last
year there have been published count
less articles on rag-tirne. written by
prominent musicians, teachers, and
critics, many of whom had something
to say about who discovered OF in
vented it. Rag-time was rot discover
ed or invented by any one. Darwin
says music was known and understood
before words were spoken and ! be-
lieve that rag-time existed in the low
er animals long before the advent OF
men. 1t is simply rhythm or intensified
rythm. and have frequently observe
animals keeping time 10 music having
strong marked rhythm.
Rhythm is the skeleton on which
all music is hung, and If you will strip
the so-called modern ragtime of its
melodies you Will have the music that
has been in vogue since the beginning
of time and that still is the only mu-
sic OF many of the heather races. 1t
is the 'juber,' buck and wing dance
of the old plantation darby, and no
| more inspiring ragtime was ever play
ed than that which he patted with his
| hands, shuffied with his feet, or
| plunked on his rudely constructed ban
! 10. All the oldtime 'fiddlers' were rag
time performers. The backwoods
player who sat perched on a barrel in
a corner at a 'corn-husking bee who
held his fiddle at his elbow and his
bow al half-mast, played the 'Arkan-
saw Traveller and Up Duck Creek
in a style that would put to shame
many of the fellows who claim 10 have
! originated what they are pleased to
| call ragtime.'
"Drummers have played nothing but
ragtime since the invention of the
| drum The bass drum is now used only
| to punctuate or emphasize the heavy
beats or pulse of the music: but in
the original 'sheepskin band that has
| furnished martial music for our SOL
| diers in times of war for centuries the
| bass drummer used a stick in each
! hand and helped out the ragtime
| rhythm of the snare drum.
who has not stood on a curbstone,
watching a passing parade. and no.
ticed how Wearily the men in line
| plOdded along to the smonotOnOuS IL
1-2-3 of the bass drum? But when the
snare drums broke into their merry
| ragtime beats of TAFT tat-a-tat' how
the marchers immediately braced up
| and walked with a buoyant, elastic
step? According to good authority the
sense of rhythm is greater by SO per
cent. Ih8n elLnST the sense OF mar
mony or melody. Consequently, any
march with a strong rhythmic accent.
or a ragtime song with its intensified
rhythm, appeals more intensely to
greater mankind.
81 have often been asked Why do
you play so much ragtime at your con-
certs?' and I always reply that ragtime
music is what is most demanded, and
that my mission is to please-not to
educate-the masses. 1t is not a crime
to acknowledge that you enjoy ragtime.
All the old masters wrote ragtime, and
that great poet and wizard of harmony,
Richard Wagner. was a Postmaster at
=. 1t is a we'll known fact that the
themes for many of our most popular
ragtime songs were taken bodily from
his operas.
Il have always delighted in strong
contrasts-from the sublime 10 the
ridiculous, if YOU like-and I invaria-
bly, follow 'Tannhauser' or 'Leonore'
overtures with some little street song
melody or ragtime march. It fire.
quently happens that two persons will
sit side by side at one of my concerts,
one a lover of 'high-class' music, the
other with a desire only for the rag