Evening star., 1946-08-04
Music
Service Bands Have
Integral Part in
Washington Events
By Alice Eversmun

doned for this month for services
bands will take over the National
symphony days OF Sunday. Wednes~
day and Friday of each week for
concerts Of their own. These will
be free and it will be a question
of first come first served in the mat
ter OF seats. In addition TO the
concerts on the Potomac. some of
the regular programs, outdoors and
IN, will be continued by the in
dividual bands.
While bands have been an in
tegral part of the American living
since the first DAYS of the Republic,
the service bands represent the
arlstocracy of this branch of music,
Government sponsored. nattilv uni
formed, no official function is COM
piete without one or another of the
bands llvening the occasion or
Softenlng sorrow by its music.
When gala affairs are held at the
Whne House, when the President
goes on vacation when soldiers
are honored. the bands play as we'll
as at the serious moments of a
presidential Inauguration, the In
terment of a noted personage or
the annual remembrance of the
Unknown Soldier.
Marines Have Oldest Band.
The oldest of the service bands
Is that of the Marine Corps. which
was started in a small way as far
back as 1898 Every President of
the United States except George
Washington has heard the Marins
Band play. The Navy and Army
bands are outgrowths of the World
war, the former authorized in pres
ent form by the Navy Department
IN 1918 and the latter a continu-
ance of the American Expeditionary
Force Band organized by Gen.
Pershing in France The Youngest
OF the quartet is the Army Air
Forces Band, which made record
Tor itself during the past war and
In now staging a comeback from
the effects Of the demobilizatio
America has grown music minded
through the bands which were to
De found in nearly every community
from the earliest days. Not making
any pretence at being great artistic
organizations, they were influential,
nevertheless. in molding the con-
sclousness OF the people in every
direction. Before the advent of the
movies, the Saturday night band
concert was the great weekly event
in some communities. The spirit Of
Fourth OF July was embodied in the
bands part of the celebration and its
stirring music an important part nt
the political rallies of former wears.
Patriotism was strengthened in the
boys and girls when the band. play
Ing its martial music, led the parade
down Main street.
Band Status Improves.
This was all in the old DAYS when
few knew what a symphony orches-
ira was. Now, with the increase of
symphonic groups. the bands have
felt the impact of competition and
have responded accordingly. Greater
thought has been given to the tonal
adjustments and to the repertoire
since Edwin Franko Goldman and
John Philip So,Lsa raised the band
to a concert status. At present,
symphonic works are as often pro-
grammed as the regular band works.
unfortunately. however, still in
transcribed form.
Few of the great composers have
written for the band although there
is growing tendency to do so
among modern writer's Granger.
Sowerby and Hadley, in this country.
began contributing works to the
repertoire years ago. In Italy,
ReSpighi wrote Hunting Tower
Ballad" for band, in France Roussel
gave "A Glorious Day" and in
England, Gustave Hoist wrote two
suites besides arranging several Of
Bach's works for band OF the great
mmortals, Beethoven wrote Two
military marches and his ''Zapfen-
stretch for this ensemble, Mendels-
so1n, his Military Overture, Wag-
ner. 'HuldigungSmarsch" and Grieg
Funeral March"
The lack OF universal standard
of Instrumentation held back COM
poserS from more outspoken interest
in band music. Different countries
used different instruments which
precluded the interchange of music.
With schools and colleges develop
ing band groups, these difficulties
are being overcome and the new
generation will have less to cope
with. Many of the college bands
are large organizations. that of the
University of Illinois numbering 400
players. With band routine taught
in the schools. the service bands
will have a course of trained supply
to call on when needed, Their
prominent part in national life has
opened up new opportunities for
musicians.
The Navy Band, directed by Chief