The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-31
THE BAND PLAYED on

We clip the following from the Mus
ical Times:
Men who travel and observe, tell us
that the happiest people live in towns
where free public band concerts are
given.
We feel, therefore, that, as the time
for the town meetings is at hand, that
an article should be placed in the town
warrants in this vicinity-in one town
especially-reading something as fol-
lows:
Article Umpysteen-To see if the
town will vote to maintain free pub
lie band concerts, and make an appro-
priation therefor
There is nothing under the moon that
will bring the folks out like a midsum-
mer nights band concert on the pub
lie square. From the four corners of
the town there is a rallying of the pop
ulace, young and old. 1t makes a sort
of old-hOme week atmosphere, and
leads to many happy reunions. You
stroll around the square, chewing the
fresh roasted goober nut, and the band
plays on.
How pleasant 1T is, on band concert
nights, to see the young couples stroll
ing about, arm in arm, or seated on the
store steps, holding hands, while the
band is playing some favorite air. How
ma turally they all join in the chorus,
following the dulcet tones of the cor
net and the warblng of the piccolo,
the band plays on.
Yes, these open-air concerts are
quite the thing. People who seldom go
down town except the night before the
Fourth and on Christmas eve, will
brush up and sally forth to hear the
wailing of the clarinet and the sonor-
Gus growl of the tuba. Mrs. A. meets
Mrs. r. on the square. They used to
live together in the same house, or
until one of the families moved to an
other part of the town, 1t being cheap
er to move than to pay rent. They get
to dialoging and comparing notes, as
such cOngenial souls will, and as you
stand by you hear, during the soft
pedal interval in the music, something
like this:
why, Mary, l amt seen you in a
dogs age. l declare, you're getting
stout. And how's your old man."
"Oh. he's all right-and is this little
Katie? How that kid does grow!-
And the band plays on.
Speaking of the band recalls the lit
ed on the doctor to have a small throat
trouble fixed up. The NJ. d. asked
what his occupation was. Il play in the
band" answered the patient. "Ah, yes.
yes, 1 see," said the doctor. Blowing
these instruments is straining to the
organs of respiration. BY the way,
what do you play?" "Oh, I'm on the
bass drum" answered the patient
And the band played on.
AS we said before, let us have band
concerts to soothe and refine our peo-
pie. If necessary. let us buy a few
dollars worth of silver ngued ora
tory, to megaphone the band idea into
the systems of the voters, who will APP
propriate almost anything for a worthy
institution If you put the hooks into
them right.
While the band plays on.
How often in the never-to-be-
gotten yesterdays and yester nights
have we stood on the dear old village
green and listened to the strains of
Java March, Hail Columbia and Plan
tation Melodies. while We admired the
leader, so grand and heroic. And it is
the leader of the band, be ii ever SO
small a country organization. who is
the bright particular star. He is the
Theodore Thomas, the SOusa. the Crea-
tore of the occasion. 1t is he who
bows low In behalf of the band when
the appreciative audience bestows a
hand upon the finished rendering of a
piece 1t is he who has the power TO
order an encore.
And the band plays on.
Once upon a time a funeral process
sion was slowly marching to the city
al a Softly
sadly rolled out the tones OF the Dead
March in Saul Suddenly the German
trombonist shot out a note that could
be heard in the next county 1t shook
the putty from the neighboring win
dows, put the hearse horses on the run
and frightened the people into a panic.
The leader, white with rage. stepped
up to the trombone and asked what in
he was trying to do.
'See Dante's works.
"Oh. excuse me-" said the hornblow-
er. II make a mistook. 1t bene fly
speck on der music, und | think dot
vos a high G grace note already. so |
played i'm. excuse me. please"
And the band played on.
BY all means let us squeeze our
wampum belts and appropriate some
thing to the glory OF Orpheus. 1t will
brighten us up; 1t will liven up the
whole town. unity us, bring us closer
together in the grand democracy of
music.
How pleasant it is on a balmy, moon
lit summers evening, when the foun-
tains spray glistens in the light. and
we walk about on the soft, grassy
carpet of the park, to have the weight
OF sorrow lifted from our minds and