The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26


and rapid manipulation Of his feet aroused
both the curiosity and the admiration OF
, the sexton, who was most AZ old rs the
church itself.
You use them things, don't yer he
said, pointing to the pedals Now. you
know our organist, he never disturbs en-
and always thought they were for venti-
! lation."
young but pretentious conductor,
( about TO begin a rehearsal. said TO his
orchestra
Gentlemen. you will have to look out
( for yourselves in this selection. / have
always conducted from first violin part.
! but have full orchestral score now, and
/ am not used to it."
/ Under normal conditions the average
conductor Is better equipped with a full
/ score than with flrst fiddle part; but the
/ hero of our story found little knowledge
to be a very dangerous thing.
! Some years ago in Massachusetts town
! there was a modest musical association
made up entirely of aspiring and enthusiast
! tic amateurs. One season with a sudden
/ influx OF ambition they decided to dare a
choral work just bit too much for their
measure. As precautionary preliminary
! they engaged director who brought with
him from Boston his own first violin and
concert master, now himself a director in
one Of the principal theatres of the Hub.
There were morning and afternoon
rehearsals, with the public performance in
the evening, the latter about AS ragged
IA amateurs could make it. The chief
offender among the latter was the violcn-
celst, n local physician, and known socially
as one of the incest men in town, but nlusi-
caly a murderer.
He sat for the eight long hours consumed
by the three sessions directly under tho
first violin. whose oversensitive nigh ear
was split with discord false notes. wrong
tempt &c When at last the agony was
over everybody in the orchestra received
very cordial invitation to a delicious
supper at the residence Of the nabob of
the town. and. incidentally. the patron
OF the musical association.
After the feast there was request for
some music. There followed the natural
inquiry. What shall we play?" When our
medical violoncellist suggested within a
Mile Of Edinboro Town, the patient.
long suffering first fiddler found relief at
last in the sarcastic rejoinder:
by thunder, that's ten miles nearer than
you've been all day.
In London one Montgomery. a composer
OF music for pantomimes, rehearsing
the inevitable overture Of popular English
airs which obtains even to-day at old Drury
Lane, and which il played directly at the
gallery gods. who sing with evident relish
the old but ever new melodies. Incl
dental to the overture was the familiar
Cherry Ripe"
The first cornet did not play the air TO
suit Montgomery who, =! All ugly mood.
singing tine tune as he wished 1t, ordered
the musician 10 play it accordingly.
-Gad!' retorted the cornetist, if play il
that way II won't be Cherry Ripe but
Cherry RottenV'
This same Montgomery. in speaking OF
wedding march he had introduced in an
other pantomime, said:
-Mendelssohn's isn't bit like minel7
country gawk in an English village
after watching a performer on the double
bass for some time, broke out with
SAY 1t seems to me other fellows I've
seen play that thing moved the fingers Of
their left hand
To which tho phlegmatic player replied;
Some do and some don't. and I'm one
Of them who don't
And so it would be possible TO continue
with an embarrassment Of material with
which to substantiate the statement that
there is no ignorance so grossly dense
as that Of the musical mpostor. but space
forbids further indulgence, save for ono
splendid. isolated and intensely humorous
situation, a most refreshing anti-olimaI
10 all the incidents which have been related.
Something over n decade ago n famous
orchestra was completing a long, trying,
arduous trip Of eight weeks with a six
day festival in n prominent city in New
York State. When the officials OF the fess
tival were negotiating with the mana cement
of the orchestra they requested as a special
favor that at the Saturday matinee on
the closing day the orchestra should play the
accompaniment to a choral work TO be
sung by 500 pupils Of the public schools
and conducted by their instructor in music
Although this was a style of compost
ton never played by the orga nization tho
usual prohibitory rule was waived and the
request granted. But the management
of the orchestra with rare forethought
aud for Obvious reasons delayed posting
the call for rehearsal until the very night
before. and even then they did not un-
necessarily expose themselves to view and
censure when on Saturday morning came
tIle nOtlI 10 IShedIHts nut ulHCIeetlN WAtC0e1
proceedings from behind the curtains Of a
private box.
The 500 buzzing children were banked
behind the orchestra who. tired with a
tedious trip, ont Of sorts and more or less
disguised with both the unexpected re-
hearsal and the quality of the music scowl-
ingly awaited the appearance Of the con-
ductor with looks which BODIED in FOR him,
especially should he try to lord il over
them. And at last there fairly sneaked
from the wing. noiselessy he might
have worn r1bbers. the gentleman in cues
ton, short, most meek man, and quite
inohensive save Tor enormous beet nose
which fairly cast a lurid glow o.er the
whole scene. Nervousy mounting tho
podium. he took the baton in mis- shaking
hand and gently, very gently tapping the
music stand in front Of him. said be-eech-
ingly.
Gentlemen. please don't look at me
don't know the first ID thing about
conducting an orchestral
And never in tho wide world will that
choral lie played more glorousy. mors
con amore, just reward for a confession
a. rare * II was honest.