The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-11-23


educated musical ear. Sousa be-
lieves in pleasing and he succeeds
in it. He doesn't think music is
necessarily common because it is
popular and people enjoy IT,
The soloists carried by Sousa
rank equally as high in the music
al world as his celebrated band.
Estel.e Liebling, the soprano for
merly sang in the Metropolitan
Opera Co. New York. She pos
sess a voice OF wonderful sweet
ness, putting into hei singing the
richest colorature and the most fin
ished execution. Miss Jessie
Straus is a youngCincinnati violin
ist, who has won high place
among artists in her line.
JOHN PHILIP sOUsA
Americas greatest band conduc-
tor was born in Washington, D. c.
exactly fifty years ago-Nov. 6,
1884. He had for his teachers
two Of Americas greatest masters of
music. John Espata taught him
the violin and theory and he studi-
ed harmony under Felix Benkest.
Sousa is an American product.
American through and through
aud he is proud of it. All of his
education was received in this
country. AT the age of eleven he
was already composing and was
playing the violin on the stage. He
became a master of the violin, the
piano and many other instruments
but for twenty-five years has given
his attention to conducting and
composing. He was the leader of
an orchestra at the age Of seven
teen.
THE sousA BAND
When Sousa was twenty-four
years of age, he was appointed
conductor of the Marine Band in
Washington and continued with
that organization till 1892. In
1891 the government authorized
him TO take the band to Chicago
and while there certain Chicago
men of wealth offered him a guaran-
tee for FIVE years if he would leave
the service and organize the" "Sousa
Band. This offer was accepted
and the present organization was
formed in 1892. OF the So mem
bers Of it at present, six we're i'll
the original band. The band is
completed with SO pieces but when
Sousa plays in the open air or in
large halls he duplicates some Of
the parts. In St. Louis he had 65
pieces.
During the twelve years Of its
existtnce, The Sousa Band has play
ed in nearly all the cities in the
United States and Canada and has
made three trips abroad, playing in
every country in Europe except
Spain and Italy. 1t is equally as
popular abroad as it is at home.
Sousas musicians are the best to be
obtained. 1t is very expensive
organization. No man in it re-
ceives less than s55 week and ex-
penses and the highest salaried re.
ceives as high as $50 week.
A VERSATILE MAN
Julian Hawthorn has called
Sousa THE Modern Michael An
gelo," and in the versatility of his
genius he is not unworthy Of the
title. Artist, conductor, compsfer,
Literature, his powers are amazing
Tue Sousa music has gone around
the world. Sousa originated the
peculiar style of March of which
the Stars and Stripes" is con-
spicuous example. While lie was
a boy in Washington during the
war, he drank i'll the strains of
martial music and it was here that
the Sousa March was born. He
conceived the idea of the grand eli.
max ending up with a different to.
nality that is distinctive feature
of his marches, and other com
posers have caught the idea.
Besides his marches Sousas