The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-07-21
PRES. SMITH
RECOGNIZED
Hawaiian Band Plays
Compliment to
Mormon Chief.

ing.
The Royal Hawaiian band, with it
glee club, was rendering one of its not
ed "Hulas." Suddenly Kawa Lehai
one of the most expert mandolinist
among re natives. nudged his neares
| neighbosas the same moment a tri
of SINCE a ded to each other. nodded
and snar a smile of satisfa elton
They bowed toward the audience-fev
| knew why-and at the finish of the
| song one of them stepped forward tt
| the conductor, Herr Berger, and whis
pered something into his ear. The
| number which followed had not beer
! announced on the program, and it was
| not sung. And only one person in the
audience realized that it was the beau
| tiful melody to which the Hawaiians
sing 20 My Father" the famous Nor
mon anthem. That one person was
President Joseph F. Smith. AS he en-
tered he was recognized by members of
the band who were long ago converted
to the principles of the Latter-day
Saints Church and he alone, upon TAX
ing his seat, noticed the compliment.
The respected leader sat in silence I'M
til the last of the plaintive notes had
died away. Then he glanced signifi-
greeted by a score or more of smiling
faces; by the people who were familiar
with his features. not from personal
acquaintance, but from having seen his
photographs, which are literally ex-
hibited in the Mormon chapels
throughout the islands. Until the end
of the concert President Smith was a
deeply interested listener. His mind
reverted to the days when he mingled
with the fathers of these natives as a
missionary.
1t is we'll known in the Church that
shortly after President George @. Can
non had established the mission in the
Hawaiian islands, President Joseph F.
Smith was sent to relieve him. This
occurred in 1854. But it is not known,
perhaps, that nine members of the
Royal Hawaiian band are sons or
grandSons of the converts made by
Presidents Cannon and Smith; that
they have followed in the footsteps of
their fathers and are considered devout
saints today; that they regret their in
ability to attend the tabernacle serv-
ices tomorrow afternoon, especially so
in view of the fact that this is their
first trip to Utah-the first time in
fact that any of them has Travelled
farther east than Portland, where the
band played an engagement at the
Lewis and Clark exposition.
The Royal Hawaiian band derives the
title Royal from the fact that it was
by King Lunalilo of Hawaii
about 35 years ago-long before the
time of Queen Liliuokalani-as an i'm
perial escort for his majesty. The lat
ter was very friendly with Emperor
of Germany at that time and
had heard that he owned such an or
ganization. A band was wanted. The
natives knew no music besides their
chants. The technical qualities of the
art had to be supplied. So the old king
aid his predicament before the friendly
emperor and asked that he select some
body to teach his subjects the ms and
puts of instrumental music. The en-
oeror listened to the plea. He went so
ar as to take his own bandmaster
rom his position, grant him a good
pension, and send him to Honolulu on
he errand which was to give so much
to the old monarch of the
stands. The task was not an easy one.
captain Berger had material that was
IS crude as could have been found
anywhere but which had the saving
race of IAN ear for music" and an in
'orn love of harmony.
Teaching his boys the notes and Gull
waiting their taste for standard mu-
ic was as arduous as it was slow.
lie gave 81 lessons each day for more
han 10 months. but he succeeded, at
he end of that time, in establishing
band. King Lunalilo, upon
caring its music for the first time,
ecorated the captain with the highest
onors ever paid a civilian in the is
ands. The mission had been performed
nd Captain Berger was ready to start
or Germany. But he did not. Induce
1ents were offered which tied him to
honolulu for a period of years and
uring those years he worked with the ,
anne persistency and the same fine
uccess that had characterized his
york from the beginning. The result ,
,day is a band of 90 musicians which
an play the ''Tannhauser'' overture
18th the same brilliancy as many of
l1r great American bands and at the
anne time provide the plaintive melo- ,
les of the islands. in a manner which !
auses our own musicians to stand in
-onderment-
Since the overthrow of the monarchy Y
ne band has filled a unique position.
is in reality a national guard institu-
on and each of its members is idoliZed
V the natives. Every ship that t
inches at Honolulu is met by the band
nd there is no outgoing steamer that I
not serenaded just prior to its de- J.
arturo 1t is on such occasions that
10 celebrated Farewell Song" or /
Aloha De- is rendered, and each de- i
arting native is decorated with the f
Ell" of flowers. or an imitation such /
, are frequently seen on the streets of
air Lake since the Hawaiians came
ere. At Saltair Miss Lei Lehua, the g
,prano. sings the solo part of the e
-eat song and she has made it very :,
,pular locally.
THAT there are nine members of the
ormon Church in the band of so Q
usicians is no cause for establishment =
hen il is remembered that nearly :,
rtv per cent of the population of the
lands is Mormon. The boys in the o
,nds were all eager to reach Salt s
axe for they had received the best o
treatment at the hands of the .