The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-30
PARK HARMONY.
Policy That Has Guided the Manage
ment Of Entertainments.

To THE EDITOR or THE SuS--Sir:
| was much surprised to find In THE sun
letter from n correspondent who as
sumes that the conditions OF park music
| last year were the same as those which
| had Invited criticism heretofore.
| Early last spring I appointed q com
petent committee consisting of Victor
| Herbert, Frank Damrosch, John Philir
Sousa, Reginald DE koven. II. T.. John
ston. Richard Aldrich and others. The
citizens forming this COMMITTEES freely
gave their time to the city, 20 as TO work
| out a general policy which would cor
rect the deficiencies of past years.
| was most anxious that the committed
| should bear in mind the importance OF
| having leaders who were In sympathy
with the national sentiment and muse
| literature OF the inhabitants OF the dis
| tricts In which their parks were located
| and this was taken into consideration
But the question OF the political afiilia.
| tons OF the leaders did not enter into
the considerations OF the committee.
Your correspondent refers to the tins
| honored custom OF having dummies In
| the park bands. Last year, however
| for the very purpose of stopping this
] not only had the concerts supervised
by the official appointed by the Depart
| ment Of Finance. but also detailed Louis
w. Fehr OF this department and mem
bers OF the Music Committee to inspect
the concerts in all parks.
| In addition to these measures. wher
once the leaders were appointed ii was
arranged TO assign each one TO a series
OF concerts, Keeping him in one park
instead OF the previous method OF trans.
ferring from point to point. In this
way the leader was made responsible as
the public Mt that park crew to know
! him, and therefore he was more aces
sible and sympathetic with their par
| ticular needs
There was also. for the frs, time
prescribed a standard Instrumentation
| for the small park bands. Leaders were
| compelled to furnish men according &c
| this Instrumentation: no musician was
allowed TO play an instrument for which
he had not passed an examination al
| the Musical Union. In no case did
assign any band of less than the stand.
! ard Instrumentation to any park con.
| cert. This had been the practice in
| former years. when II was desired tr
| stretch out an appropriation. The eff
| feet that these changes had upon i'm.
| proving the quality Of park music Is
| attested BY scores OF letters which wer.
| received I'm this department
| one OF the reasons for the eNcellenC,
! 81 the concerts I'm Central Park last
! summer was also due 10 the fact that
both orchestra and band were made ur
as permanent organizations In fact
half OF the membership Of each organi.
| zation played continuously, while tn,
{ other haf alternated from week 20 week
! as the programme was changed from
| orchestra TO band The musicians who
| composed these permanent organizations
were 81 the very best quality. They
were made up of men who In the winter
| played in such organizations "a ths
| Metropolitan opera House. the New
York symphony Orchestra, Sousa's Band
/ and the Philharmonic Orchestra. The
/ names Of these men and the organiza'
tiors 20 which they belonged were
printed on the programme Of the Cen
! trail Park concerts, and should have
been familiar 20 your correspondent.
! II your correspondent had consulted
the list Of leaders in the smaller parks
printed on the back OF eveSy programme
| las. year he would have seen upon then
| the names OF regimertal handmasters
| present and past. and others who u
previous years had been considered gooC
enough to conduct the concerts in Cen
trail Park. CARoT WARD.
Commissioner Of Parks Manhattan
and Richmond.
%Ew York April sc