Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-25
SOUSA, THE MARCH KING.
Chat With the Famous District Boy
in Philadelphia

John Philip Sousa. author, globe trotter.
champion trap shot and universally known
as the march king. is in Philadelphia with
his famous band. delighting thousands of
patrons at Willow Grove Park In an in
terview with Whiting Allen of the North
American staff he had the following to say:
i am only too glad to tell anything you
may regard as interesting to the people of
this city. who have always been so gener-
GUS in their applause and apprecIative Of my
efforts. I have just finished my first ex-
tensive vacation in many years. 1 suppose
you will laugh when tell you how 1 put in
my time.
AT first I had intended to write another
novel, as 1 have met with gratifying sue
cess in my previous efforts in that line
Ihen also had contract to write new
opera for klaw Erlanger. Well, l may
as well say now that the opera has been
written, although the name is not yet to be
made public; but the novel Is not yet on
paper. and I don't know when it will be-
Each year sees the rise of some new mu-
stefan who writes worthy things. l am per-
fectIy sincere when say that this country
Is going ahead so rapidly in music that 1t is
forging ahead very fast. 1t is almost
the really good new music that Is being
written right along, and I always try to
keep my program right up to date and pre-
sent all the novelties worth hearing. no
iiottci ~Hal pdIt VI Tire WOTiO tney may
come from.
And look at our singers, especially our
sopranos. This country already leads the
world in their production. The old world
admits that fact without question. We have
the greatest music-loving people in the
world. American music-there is no such
thing. For that matter l will go still fur
Their and say that music is not national: II
Is and must always be Individual. Take
Wagner for an example. If he had written
his music in America 1t would be called
American. wouldn't it? Because his style
of music was new and written by no one be-
fore him. He happened to originate it In
Germany. But that fact does not make 1t
German music. The influence he exerted
upon writers who initiated him came
after him was undoubtedly great and was
better say first felt in Germany, and SO
all dramatic music Of the style Of Wagner
is CLASSIFIED as German: but that does not
make II so.
''sir Arthur Sullivan wrote his music in
England. and although he was an Irishman
his music is English music, and the music
written by other Englishmen who felt the
influence of his success is of the same clas-
sification nationally as that of Wagner in
Germany.
1.-THE argument of the influence OF folk
songs carries little or no weight with me.
Some of the greatest compositions of the
greatest composers were not suggested In
either theme or treatment by folk songs Of
the land of the composer. Tschaikowski
himself wrote some of the purest sort OF
what we call Spanish and Italian music.
and the same thing may be said of other
composers" Asked to what he attributed
the popularity Of his own theme. the COM
poser said that his success was due first to
absolute originality. and second to simplic-
ity.
He was reminded Of the statement that a
knowledge of how he had put In his time
this summer would cause laughter.
"Oh, yes, I had forgotten that. WE'LL
when was much younger and in charge of
the Marine Band in Washington l was very
fond of trap shooting For several years 1
have had a positive hunger for some more
trap shooting. So this summer l went
down to Pinehurst for the express purpose
of entering the tournament there. 1t Is the
biggest trap-shooting event of the summer.
OF course. l had to have a lot of rehearsals,
as l was up against great many of the
crack shots of the country. / shot away
over $500 shells before the match. Then I
went in and won all the events and the
championship" and there was as much
ultation in his voice as there could have
been if he bad been telling about being
knighted