The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-10-15
BAND
AND CAPT. LOVING
DARING LEADERS, GOOD WORK
Material No Better Than Ber-
gers, but There Is No Politics
Holding the Baton.
DARING LEADERS, GOOD WORK
BY D. L. MacKaye.


1t is always against the ethics of
musical or dramatic critic to give I'M
stinted praise to any musical or dra,
matte organization on the good old
fashioned theory that there is nothing
perfect in the world. Also somebody al
ways smells a press agent in a joyous
outburst over the talents of the players
winch is disconcerting to the critic. But
so many heard and so many spontan-
eously applauded the Philippine Con
stabulary Band, that the available
critics of the critic in this case are all
in glass houses.
There was one thing unforgivable
about the arrangement of the programs
of the three concerts given here by the
band, the same being the omission of
the leaders, name in every case, al
though Captain Loving was the biggest
thing in the organization. Both he and
Captain Berger are in the same class;
both made good band out of raw ma
terial, but Captain Loving made the
better. | don t think he did so because
he was better director and instrument
tationist, but because he has been given
free rein and his own way. Captain
Berger has such shoals as Supervisor
Aylett to contend with, and it will al
ways be remembered that the latter is
responsible for Berger having two horn
players at thirty dollars a month in
stead of one at sixty. Knowledge of that
would condemn the band in any mu-
stefan s opinion as soon as mentioned.
Loving has an original manner of
leading his boys, fatherly, patriarchal
manner, and his baton has life of its
own. He places himself on tub at
such an altitude that he has to bend
over at right angles and finds himself
staring into the eyes of every man that
is playing under him. That each man
felt the power and musical magnetism
of his leader was evident in the fact
that not once did the music, difficult
alIegrettO or sustained andante. drag.
After hearing all the greatest bands
in the States, Sousa, lines and others,
l could unhesitatingly brand Loving
as a most daring mIlltary leader in the
arrangement of his programs. That
musician would transp0se the great Peer
Gynt Suite from a symphony score to
the brass and wood banks would be
scoffed at by tradition; that any one
would have made the success out of it
that Loving did would not be believed
by the advocates of the traditional in
music.
With the exception of the "Sigurd
Jorsalfen Suite, the Peer Gynt music
is the most typical of the northern emo
lions and most wonderfully illustrative
of Ibsen s terrible creation. The Halls
of the Mountain King, not exactly play
ed in a fiawless manner Wednesday
night, suited itself TO the band better
than did Ada 5 death, the second move
ment in the suite, yet the latter,
musical description Of the most awful
scene in the modern drama, was better
rendered by Loving 5 men. That its
theme better fitted the Filipino 5 sense
of music was clearly apparent.
Paderewski s Ninuet, Loving S best
encore Wednesday night; the William
Tell overture, the opening number, and
List 5 second Hungarian rhapsody
should make those who heard them I'M
| derstand what a military band can DO
and start an agitation that would give
our own Captain Berger opportunities
TO create q band equally as good. The
audience appreciated Loving enough; 1t
has the power to make the local organ.
! cation dispense with the necessity OF
! paying high prices to hear such music.
And yet human nature has queer kinks,
for Manila men say that Loving band
is looked upon there with the same de
] gree Of respect that Berger's is here
/ / wonder if Manila would pay dollar
and a half to hear Berger3