The Yale expositor., 1911-01-13
An Emotional
Musician
By DAVID WALTER CHURCH
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association

1
try OF the French army. remained In
my native country until my regiment
was sent by the Emperor Napoleon
III. to Mexico. Shortly before Maxi
milan was shot by the Mexicans en-
tered into a conspiracy to rescue him.
One Of our conspirators gave away the
plan. We were arrested, tried and SEN
fenced to meet the same fate az the
emperor.
The day before we were to suffer
death a man dressed In the uniform of
band In the Mexican army came into
the room where we were confined and
asked If any Of US could play upon any
instrument. He had not got the words
out OF his mouth before / caught his
intention. There are, or were at that
time, more musicians In Europe than
In the western hemisphere. This man
was after men to enlist In his band.
One prisoner, who may possibly have
seen through the fellows design as
did, said that he could beat the drum.
The inquirer gave him contemptuous
look and waited for other answers.
had no musical education whatever
and was unable to play a note on any
| instrument. 1t occurred to me to give
the same reply as he who had said he
could beat the drum, but the reception
Of his statement assured me that such
course would be useless. To gain
time, with a view to living a little
longer, l sang out:
81 played the trombone for years in
the band of the Tenth cuirassiers of
the French army"
/ saw at once that l had caught the
mans attention. He waited for some
one else to claim to be a musician, but
as none did he said to me:
"Come with me-"
My comrades were all shot. was
enlisted in the band Of a regiment that
was intended to be used at the palace
Of the president. l feared they would
test my capabilities before enlisting
me, but the man who had secured me
he turned out to be the bandmaster-
set so great store by what / had told
him that 1t did not occur to him to
doubt that 1 was proficient as a from
bone player.
Just before was to take my place
In the band for the first practice /
feigned illness and told the bandmas-
ter that / must defer attempting to
play. He grumbled. but excused me.
The practice came of on the parade
quadrangle of the barracks, and i
could hear every note. l listened to
the bass parts, especially to the from
bone-for some one seemed to be tenn
porarily taking my place-and since
my life hung on my being able to do
something with the instrument l lis
tened with corresponding attention.
Though I knew nothing of music. II
turned out that / had an ear for
chords. told the bandmaster that /
had not touched q trombone for years
and 1t would require at least a couple
Of weeks before l could take a part.
Would he bring me an instrument and
some sheet music? He assented.
got my nurse, Mexican girl. to show
me what notes on the trombone were
indicated on the sheet music. Then
/ practiced for dear life.
Luck favored me. or, rather the band
master had an intention that / knew
nothing of. A prominent general OF
the army died and was to have a mill
tary funeral. The bandmaster was
anxious that / should take my place
with the band at the obsequies. When
the day came round he ordered me to
get up. / did so and put on uniform
he gave me. Then l went with him
and took my position with the other
musicians. The music was put on to
my trombone, and to my delight 4
found II to be that which I had been
practicing, dead march.
stumbled bit at first, but kept
my mind fixed on the fact that If
did not succeed the next funeral at
tended would be my own. Naturally
the melancholy of the scattered bass
notes played was enhanced by this
remembrance. AS soon as 1 had play
ed a strain once and got the run Of 1t
/ put my whole soul into it on playing
Il again. The profound sorrow felt
for myself ] transmitted to the from
bone. Those hearing the depth of
agony In these notes were moved to
tears.
But at the grave a shock awaited
me. The music for dirge was circu-
lated. / had never seen 1t and dared
not attempt II. Just before / was to
play my first note I burst into a tor
rent of tears and told the bandmaster
that had been so moved by the mu-
sic we had been playing that could
do no more. He looked at me curl
ously. but / could see by his express
sion that he believed / had an emo
tional nature calculated to make a re-
markable musician. He excused me
from making any further attempt, put
ting a man that could be better spared
from another part on the trombone.
The change was a great benefit to me.
for there was a marked contrast be-
tween his clumsy work and the bro
ken hearted wall that had produced.
As soon as l got back to barracks /
took to my bed. The bandmaster