Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-08
NEWS OF MUSIC
b. IRyIN0 LoWENs

take the service musical
organizations pretty much
for granted. but they cer-
tainly generate . consider
able amount Of excitement
abroad.
The United states Air
Force Band. Just returned
from its eighth international
tour dts second In the ORR
ent). certainly seems to be
winning friends for the
United States, II attendance
figures at the concerts are q
measure Of friendlinesS.
During the course Of its
S0.000-mile trip. the Air
Force musicians played 80
concerts In Is days, visiting
Japan. Korea. the Philip
pines. Hong Kong, Formosa.
Okinawa and Hawaii, and
being heard by upwards Of
100000 people. If my arith-
metic is correct. that aver
ages better than 0,400 at
tendees per concert. / know
Of no musical organization
that gets that kind Of au-
diences in the States.
A Typical Review
Typical Of the reviews re-
ceived by the band was One
which appeared In the Hong
Kong Standard. X. c. Harvey,
the Standards music critic.
wrote:
MY few hours association
with the USAF Band has
confirmed my original belief
that in this somewhat unique
combination Of symphonic
and military band, cham.
Der music and instrumental
groups. dance and rhythm
band. lies Q near perfect
answer to music for every
occasion"
The brunt Of the conduct
ing load fell on the shoul.
derS Of Col. George 8. How.
ard. the bands regular con-
ductOr, but audiences In
Tokyo. Yokohama and Homo
lulu were treated to the rare
spectacle Of seeing an Amer
lean legislator, Representa-
tive Carroll D. Kearns, a.
guest conductor.
Popularity Received
More important than the
ofiicial acclaim with which
the band was naturally re.
ceived was the genuine
popular enthusiasm its play
ing generated.
In Hong Kong. four per-
f0rmances were scheduled
for the city's largest theater,
bVt the crowd was so large
the concert moved to a sports
stadium.
At each stop on the itin-
erary. large crowds were
present. In Formosa, hun.
dredB were turned away at
each Of the groups three
performances. A distin-
guished listener was General
issimo Chang Kai-shek who
rarely makes . public APP
pearance but who came out
Of virtual retirement to ct.
tend q concert.
Overflow audiences at
tended each Of the a.
concerts given IN Japan.
The demand for the band
was so insistent IN Mat
suyama and Takamatsu, on
the island Of shihoku. that
the local citizens successfully
appealed to the japanese
Self Defense Force for q
destroyer to transport the
band to the island, aS the
airports were not large
enough TO handle the CHA
in which the musicians and
their instruments usually
Travelled.
Thus. the airmen took to
the sea and went by japanese
destroyer from Hiroshima to
Matsuyama TO Takamatsu TO
Osaka.
A Mixed Program
What kind Of programs did
the band play during it,
tcurp Last week ct q post
season Watsrgate concert,
the musicians under Col.
Howard and Mr.. Kearns pre-.
sented the sort Of thing that
vowed the Orient. Soloists
included two singers, two in
strumentalists, and q type
writer-player. The music
ranged from legitimate band
materials by Vaughan VIII
liams and Sousa to operate
selections and semipops.
While the Watereate audi
ence hardly approached the
10000 who attended q con-
cert In Manila despite the
Asian flu epidemic) 1t was q
good. large, enthusiastic au-
dience.
All Of which goes to show
that high art" ID still low
on the totem-pole. The win
ming combination still seems
TO be technical musical skin
Of the highest order-the Air
Force musicians are all top
notch instrumentalists plus
. heavy dose Of least-com-
mon-denominator stun.
Symphonies and stun may
delight Thousands. but II you
want audiences In the tens
Of Thousands. give with the
old chestnuts.
The formula works.