The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-09-13

the hundreds OF students IN the various
schools. TO say nothing of the refined.
cultured men and women who compose
the so-caTed small fry brand These
are the people who would appreciate
opera, and listen TO it If it was not
put out Of their zach b. unfair prices
Of admission.
The real students and lovers Of music
are thus shut out when a frst-cIass
company comes to town. II may be pos
Slble, through great sacrifice, for these
people to go to one performance during
st2nd) In the pit" with no Ice water
between the acts. when they should be
downstairs, comfortably located as
ladies and gentlemen
EuTOpe's System Different.
In E:rope. in all the principal musical
centeTs. opera is well within the limited
means OF the people At Covent Gar
den, London, the home Of grand opera,
it is possible to hear the seIf-same artists
Cvho later flock TO America for the COIN
Ctor a respectable admission fee The
writer had the privilege (and Heaven
knows an OrEanISt never has money! Of
den two years ago, and Of occupying a
good seat for just what It costs here to
stand up against the soft side Of the
gallery brick wall
We had the greatest artists singing
10 US, and the people were Of a class TO
listen 10 the singing The late King
Edward and his wife sat in a box in
plain view Of the audience and did not
talk Uring the singing or sit facing the
audience rather than the stage
= person really might spend a week
at C5vent Garden Tor what il would cost
10 get look here"
"AE We, Like Sheep"
NOW that the theatrical season is
again upon US. II IS 10 be hoped that
those in authority. backed by public de-
manc. as expressed in The Times. viii
make z possible for us Of the "out-of-
the-flt'-class'' to hear opera decently
and in order, and not be compelled to
humminE to ourselves the beautiful
chorus from Handles Messiah 'AH
We. Like sheep"
Things could be changed very easily
II our Government would control the
opera, as is done in 50 many European
countries.
Band Concerts.
Then. too. the question Of bind con-
certs and he programs OF (he Marine
and other military bandz. is just now
being discussed in the columns Of The
Times. No real musician has even &C
cused the Marine Bgnd OF being a con-
cert organization The Marine Band is
first class when Il appears on the Ave
nue. I'm string march tNleS, but when II
attempts classical work Il is most de-
cidedly 0Ut Of its elemeu\x one Of its
principal players cOuhded Mis- much TO
the writer.
The Marine Band is a militarS> band in
the strict sense Of the word, ana moth
ing more. The hand is composer. OF
good musicians for this special work,
the dancing every evening at Chevy
Chase Lakeland they certainly can
tear the rags to smithereens-
No Artists Nov.
This feature OF the evening at the lake
is vastly more popular than the con
cert part held amid the cool bTeezes
on sre brow OF the hill. where the fat
bass horn player worries US IN his fran
SIC efforts TO keen cool
The Marine Band, years ago, had as
members graduate musicians who were
artists on their respective instruments,
such men as Henry Jaeger being solo
lists. This was in the days Of Sousa and
FanciuuI- The band -Dday. while COM
posed OF good. all-TOUnd band men, lays
40 claim 10 being al organization OF
artists. This fact is well known. and
all the more apparent from the fact
that the stipend allowed each man
Is considerably less than an ordinary
frst-Ciass DAY labcrer could command
The musicians usually leave for larger
and more fruitful fields, as soon as they
make good
The writer has tried 10 enjoy the
Marine Rand concerts. does 50, most
decidedly. so far as fancy rag time"
I IS concerned pardon me for APPROX
ing rags but do. It's simply
q form Of syncopation. which is used
by all the great masters Its use to-
day. as constituted IN rag time is
simply an aggravated and exaggerated
form
A Suggestion
So his talk about the merits OF hand
concert programs would seem TO favor
the argument Of those who want to hear
popular music played as O1iy a mill
tary band can play IL
one hun bic suggestion 20 the Marine
Band management why not have a
traditional elepEantine drum major, OF
ponderously prepossessiHg proportions,
who can manipulate his Hatcn after the
( approved manner OF the vau deviiIe jug
/ gIer, rather than having the band head
I ed On certain public occasions by a
microscopic vision OF humanity
Very truly.
ERNEST T WINCHESTER