New-York tribune., 1907-11-04
A GUILDHALL .MASQUE.
Dir. Parker's Fresh Experiment in
Pageant Making.
London. October %.

pageant. The annual pilgrimage OF tne Lord
Mayor from the Guildhall to the Law Courts has
marked the survival Of tradition for eight CEN
turtles. vet it has degenerated into shabby and
inartistic town show of which Londoners are
heartily ashamed Stored "reminiscences OF tbs
rnedi4vaI water fetes and splendid cavalcades
when the candidate OF the ancient guilds went
with pomp and circumstance 10 Westminster 20
he presented TO the King and to the Barons OF
the Exchequer have not availed to save ths in
congruous spectacle from ridicule- Every year
there have been feeble files OF costumed men in
ignobIe and meaningless masquerade with
tunics. banners and trappings and with canopied
cars as grotesque in decoration as they were
empty in symbolism; and behind them have
tramped a motley throng OF beadles. trumpeters.
6reroen foresters armor bearers, monks,
Indian raiahs and medieval knights, followed
nv the Lord Mayor in the famous ciprtani gile
chariot oiled vanished and regtded. and a
variety Of peepshows on wheels with foriorn
maidens in tropical costume exposed TO nys-
terious stuffed beasts and awaiting delfverancs
from impossible St. Georges. Traffic has been
suspended for hours. and boisterOus crowds have
had a carnival OF practical joking. and the Lord
Mayor and sheriffs have divided the cost OF an
inartistic and senseless exhibition, described as
a picturesoue relic of oldtime London. Yet with
all its vulgarity and absurdity it has pulssted
with the vitality of a cherished popular tnstitu-
tion and refornIers have known that the masses
were unwilling TO give 1t up. Something had to
be substituted for il; and until this year nobody
had the wit and ingenuity to devise pageant
with an idea behind it,
Mr. Louis y. Parker. whose reputation as a
Snowman has been made at Sherborne. Warwick
and Bury ST. Edmunds. is the new Master OF
ReveIs He has hit upon a unique expedient for
imparting dignity and stateliness to the parade
This is to dress up a series of player kings.
mount them on fine horses and surmount them
with notable subjects as a retinue- In the old
days the Lord Mayor went to Westminster IN
his chariot of state with his gorgeOusly liveried
coachmen and footrnen. and humbly asked the
sovereign to assent to his election by the wcr-
shipful companies. For many decades royalty
has dropped out of the ceremony. and has COM
rnissoned the Lord Chancellor to sanction the
choice OF the guilds. The Lord Mayors first
official act is to visit the high court and to invite
the judges to dine at the Guildhall; and this in
wolves recognition of the supreme authority OF
the Crown. Mr.. Parker restores the royalties as
chief figures in the show and thereby dignifies it
through a reversion TO medieval conditions. In
place Of one sadly bored sovereign impatiently
awaiting the coming OF the magnificent coach,
delegation of kings arrayed in sumptuOus state
will keep step TO the music Of the brass bands.
witness the passage OF the Lord Mayor in all
his glory. and halt in the Strand until the invita-
ton 20 the Guildhall banquet has been accepted
by the judges. With seven kings. attended by
two hundred courtiers and retainers in the cos
tunes Of their time. il will be royal procession
exceeding in interest and picturesque quality
any function OF the kind in recent times
An artistic Snowman insists upon carrying out
the central idea with appropriate simplicity as
we'll as fulness- The player kings are TO bs
Edwards without exception Not all the Ed
wards of English history. but the best known up
TO the opening OF the present reign. Not the son
of Alfred the Great, who was equally successful
as warrior and a peacemaker. nor Edward the
Martyr. who was stabbed in the back By a
treacherous hand. If they had been pressed into
service there would nave been too remote excur-
slons into Anglo-Saxon history and costumes
would have been too primitive TO be stately and
rich. Bulwer's Edward the Confessor heads the
lne with Harold. Goodwin and the conauering
William of Normandy supporting him, and r
solemn abbot standing guard over a model OF
westminster Abbey This group IS unrlis-
taxable and readily recognized but the six Ed
wards following the Confessor with their rstf
nues, might be tangled together and bopaIassl,-
mixed up if precautions were not taken to lst
the costermongers and shopgirls know who's
who. At Coventry. after LADY C,Odiya bs5
passed. arrayed IN coils OF crimpled vic and an
elastic smile. sovereigns We're cheek by toyyI and
treadlng on one anOther's heels more rs,,71--
IMAM they could be identified. Mr. Parker is too
snre"q a stage manager to leave any ono in
uouot respecting epoch or reign. Each grouD
wiz oe arranged as moving tableau and sepa-
rated from the other members in the ssriss
haeh VIII be preceded by a banner advertising
the reign and every Edward will BE- a r,srEs5
man. sharply individualized
The Coventry pageant was prece5.5 -.
4o'seo controversy over the proprietv Of en-
ploying music han artist as -, 60. -,
allowing a horde OF Peeping Toms a cIos. -.
u "'iug statuary The agitation bAcar,A ca
vehement that the rnunicinaI a,,+b,.,.ts- -
upon moral experts to certify ,b.. =. -
reputable show. and would not ,ot -,
sion start until there had baa, . - eD,e-
oy discreet dignitaries OF the to,-r, NJ -
has no idea of being enmesbe7 In ,r,,-,,-. -
troversy of this sort He leaves tb. - -.
u 'Ae caVaIcade. and avoids all Troublesome
questions over costume With the av,o.tt.-. :.
t"o OK three women in the allegorical car reprs-
senting the present reign as +ba ...To---.e. :.
the Peacemaker," the royal -ro,,r, ~, -,
manned by rough riders OF the Tr,,a,I "
manry, and they win be allowed - - .t,ai.
cloaks II there be rain There viii ,a -, -,
lioh OF indelicacy 70 bring color to the checks OF
Cog and Magog; but there NAV he rsc,sI ba.r.-
ou,hins over the treatment OF famous North
Britons. with whom several NJ +bs ,-0.I r.
wards had relations which vera straiDad W.
lace and other Scottish warriors viii h. l., .ba
tram or That invincible warrior, Edward I who
was anything but a peacenaker and tbera nav
Dc oelhcose gathering OF Highland clans In
the streets if heroes OF the North ara. dragpad
III atter the Crusader Kings heels ReadilIst-
~ E WI, 1e possible with Bruce in the retinus