Evening star., 1920-03-18
VISITOR CHARMED
BY NAVY YARD BAND
Learns That Musicians May
Be Available for Public
Concerts This Summer.

A reporter new To Washington had
occasion recently 10 20 down TO TIL"
navy yard. II" was walking along
with a naval officer Of mis- #cquaint-
ance when he heard strains Of music
that made his feet want TO mis be
have.
Where does it come from h"
asked. and was t"id that 1t "aS tn"
Navy Yard Eand. The tw" turned
their footsteps in tn" direction "f
the bandStaud ana li~.". o.. .',..r.-
lively for a while. Tn" civilian re
called having danced 20 the strains
produced 10y tines" boys IN sailors
Iarh al several big balls during the
.Nintcr ana expressed tn" hope that
with the advent OF n" spring season
1c would ~ hearing them in PuJlI,
concerts IN tn" parks.
He couldn't recall having thus heard
them last summer. and it9UT,d D.. had
probably just failed 10 run a""o$S
them. but was told ihat this group
Of musicians aid not appear ~ pub
lie concerts. y puzzled over his
fact as h. was enthusiastic over the
work Of tn, band. he mad, some in
quiriCS here and there and from what
he can gather Secretary of the Navy
Daniels would be perfectly willing
to permit TINS naval unit /" appear in
public concerts il q request To- that
"i4ttt SflAt't'! MAI ltl.Lt.
Hand Way ne Available.
"Nhrthor This happens or not one
OF his informants said rests with
the Office Of the superintendent Of
public buildings and grounds. Guj-
cialS of that governmental ranch
want bands for local concerts. ] have
heard. and | think if they asked for
this one they'd get it rather easily.
Their request Of The Navy Depart
ment. j suppose. is more or less con-
tingent on Il demand from the public
However. no one is allowed inside the
navy yard without permission and
the result is that tui% Very excellent
band is Compa ratINciy ItIle known To
residents Of the District generally. 1t
all goes round lit a sort of 4 circle
Id llll. mighty wei! TO be able to SIT
in Il ccol park som" hot night next
summer and listen to them
The navy yard band uumhs rs half
a hundred pieces and, next to the
Marine Band, is by far the largest
band in the District. Its members are
all enlisted men in the Navy: 1t is a
regular Navy band attached to the
post. Some persons have thought il
a more or less unofficial organization.
composed of navy yard employees. but
this is not the case.
Really. they are worth hearing
said another Lraval officer who has
frequent opportunity 10 go so, and
W no Knows something OF music. lie
band has been reorgdnIZcu since last
July and now is one OF the best |
have heard in a rather long naval ca
reer. il seems to be as good on ClaS-
steal stuff as OF Jazz and am one
who has ever dance TO the music pro-
duced when the band doubles in
strings and functions as an orches-
ira. knows how good that is. 1t stages
some unusual features. one of Waich
is a saXophone quintet that's a peach.
] think the members o. the band
themselves would welcome chance
TO show the District people what they
can do.
Washington is rather nQrd up tor
bands just now. it is learned. Tn.
cavalry band AT Fort Myer is smaller
than usual and is said TO be ii process
cf reorganization. TIE engineer band
formerly at Washington barracks 'las
been moved to Camp Humphreys. The
be stationed in Potomac Park also has
been transferred. This leaves the Ma
rine Band as the principal resource fot
this seasons concert program.
As the reporter left the yard tlc
band was playing a snappy bit he'd
never heard before. lie asked and
found that it was the Call Me Henry
march. ar original composition IN
honor of IlluStrious Fctentatc Henry
lanSburgh of AlmaS Temple. written
by Charles Benter, the DandmaSter
who has been in charge of differe ut
navy bands during the past thirteen
years.