A HISTORY OF BANDS IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY
BY JOSEPH MOLINA MCCUEN ••. z
THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY Or THE GRADUATE SCHOOL Or THE UNIVERSITY Or MARYLAND IN PARTIAL rULriLLMENT Or THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF MUSIC
1967
APPROVAL SHEET
TITLE OF THESIS:
"A HISTORY OF BANDS IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY"
NAME OF CANDIDATE:
JOSEPH M. McCuEN MASTER OF
THESIS AND ABSTRACT APPROVED:
DATE APPROVED:
M~Vys:~t___ /\
ABSTRACT
TITLE OF THESIS:
0
A HISTORY OF BANOS NAVY"
JOSEPH MOLINA MCCUEN, THESIS DIRECTED BY!
IN THE UNITED STATES
MASTER OF Musto,
1967
OR. DONALD M. MCCORKLE, MUSIC
PROFESSOR OF
ALTHOUGH THE NAVY HAS HAD BANDS SINCE THE EARLY CENTURY,
19TH
LITTLE HAS BEEN WRITTEN CONCERNING THE BACKGROUND,
DEVELOPMENT,
AND PURPOSE OF THIS DIVISION OF OUR NAVY.
THIS WORK ENCOMPASSES A DETAILED STUDY OF THE ENTIRE BAND PROGRAM.
IT BEGINS WITH THE ORIGIN OF
NAVAL BANOS AND
FOLLOWS THE GROWTH OF THE PROGRAM WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE U•S•
NAVAL AcADEMY BAND,
THE U.S.
SIC,
AND THE NUMEROUS GENERAL SERVICE BANOS.
ORGANIZATIONS ARE AMPLIFIED BY THEIR MUSICAL ABILITIES, BANDS,
NAVY 8AN0 1
THE SCHOOL OF MuTHESE
DISCUSSING THE MUSICIANS AND
THE VARIOUS
INSTRUMENTATIONS OF
THE BANDLEADERS AND THEIR QUALIFICATIONS,
REPERTOIRE OF THESE BANOS 1 ITS EFFECTIVENESS
NAVAL
THE MUSICAL
THE CURRICULUM AT THE SCHOOL AND
IN TRAINING BANDSMEN,
AND THE ABILITIES OF
THESE BANDS AS CONCERT AND DANCE ORGANIZATIONS. PROGRAM
INDIVIDUAL
FINALLY THE
IS EVALUATED BY TWO SPECIAL REPORTS SUBMITTED TO AND
AT THE REQUEST OF THE BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL; BY A FORMER HEAD OF THE MUSIC AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.
PROGRAM,
ONE REPORT
AND THE OTHER
THE WRITER ALSO
BY THE
INCLUDES HIS
OWN SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS BASED ON HIS KNOWLEDGE AS A NAVY MUSICIAN.
THIS
IS THE ONLY
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SUBJECT
AND HELPS TO EXPLAIN THE MUSIC,
AND
PLACE AND
THE NAVAL MUSICIAN
SIONS OF THE NAVAL SERVICE.
IMPORTANCE OF BANOS,
IN RELATION TO THE OTHER
BAND DIVI-
FOREWORD AND
IN ALMOST EVERY
INTRODUCTION TO NAVY MUSIC
AREA OF
HISTORIANS HAVE COMPILED, DANCE Of
IT
INFORMATION•
THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NAVY,
EVALUATED,
IS SURPRISING,
ER THAT A PARTICULAR FIELD OF PRACTICAL PURPOSES,
AND RECORDED AN
TOTALLY
HOWEVER,
BANDS
THE ESTABLISH-
IS A FAIRLY RECENT OCCURRENCE.
IDEA OF HOW AND WHY
C AME
N EC E S S AR Y T 0 T UR N T 0
E X I S T EN C E,
IT
IS
FOR ALL
UNTOUCHED•
IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A OLEAR I NT 0
TO DISCOV-
NAVAL HISTORY HAS BEEN,
IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, MENT AND AUTHORIZATION OF
ABUN-
NAVY
BANDS
TH E HE R I T A GE
THAT CONTRIBUTED THE SUBSTANCE AND TRADITION WHICH WAS NECESSARY TO NURTURE SUCH AN ORGANIZATION MUSIC WAS
NOT
ENGLAND COLONIES• WAS
LACKING
IN THE
EARLY YEARS
COMPO~ERS
BYRD,
•
ITSELF
WAS
AL TO FIND SUCH
NOT CONFINED TO
INSTRUMENTS
IN MANY HOMES.
MUSIC,
AS
OR WtLBYE WERE WELL KNOWN AND WHERE THE PRACTICE OF THE MUSICIAN ALONE•
THE TRADES HAD THEIR OWN SPECIAL SONGS AND
AL
LAND
THE EARLIER SETTLERS HAD
LEFT A COUNTRY WHERE THE WORKS OF SUCH
MUSIC
OF THE NEW
IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT ONLY THE
UNCIVILIZED AND NOT THE MEN.
GIBBONS,
IN THE NAVY. I
AS THE
THEREFORE,
PLAYED MUSIC,
LUTE,
EVEN
IT WAS
NOT UNUSU-
CITTERN,
OR VIRGIN-
THE ENGLISH SETTLERS HAD SUNG
AND HEARD MUSIC
LONG
BErORE COMING TO
THIS COUNTRY• BECAUSE OF THE HERITAGE OF ENGLISH MUSIC, NATURAL THAT WHEN OTHER
FORMS OF MUSIC I I
BECAME
IT WAS ONLY NECESSARY,
THEY WOULD BE ENGLISH. MUSIC,
ABILITIES,
BASED ON THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCES AND MILITARY MUSIC,
FOR AS YET NON-EXISTENT MILITARY
WOULD MOST CERTAINLY HAVE TO COME FROM OUTSIDE THE
COLONIES. HESSIAN",
AND
SO SUCH BRlTISH SONGS AS ~SLOW SCOTCH",
COUNTRY.
"THE
OR "THREE CAMPSn WERE ALL THE FlFERS AND DRUMMERS
OF THE NEW CONTINENTAL ARMY
PLAYED
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF OUR
THIS MUSIC MUST HAVE BEEN
BRITISH REGIMENTS FROM HALIFAX, TIONED
IN MILITARY
FOR ALTHOUGH OTHER FORMS WERE CONCEIVED BY THE NEW
ENGLANDERS,
BANDS,
THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE
IN BOSTON FROM
1768
TO
BORROWED FROM THE TWO
NovA SCOTIA, WHICH WERE STA-
17(0.
THE EARLIEST RECORD OF AN ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE A BAND, OTHER THAN A FIFE AND DRUM CORPS,
.!.!:!..f
REGULATION~
IS FOUND
IN THE LAWS FOR
GOVERNMENT OF.!.!:!£ MILITIA OF THE COMMON-
WEALTH OF MASSAOHUSETTS:
1
PASSED BY ACT OF CONGRESS, MAY 8, 1792, AND AMENDED BY ACT OF MARCH 2, 1803, SECTION XIV. BE IT FURTHER ENACTED THAT EACH BRIGADIER GENERAL OR COMMANDING OFFICER OF BRIGADE BE AUTHORIZED, BY VOLUNTARY ENLISTMENT, TO RAISE AND ORGANIZE A BAND OF MUSIC IN EACH BRIGADE AND WHEN SO RAISED TO ISSUE WARRANTS TO THEM ACCORDINGLY•
THIS SIMPLE DECREE WAS THE BEGINNING FOR ALL SERVICE BANOS
IN
THIS COUNTRY•
liFE IN THESE EARLY BANOS WAS DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. IN ADDITION TO THEIR MUSICAL DUTIES,
BANDSMEN DURING ENGAGE-
' MENTS ATTENDED THE WOUNDED ON THE FIELD AND MANY WERE PLACED
ON THE FIRING LINE WITH A MUSKET. THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY MUStO,
WHEN THESE BANDSMEN HAD
THE SPIRIT THAT THEY WERE ABLE
IWtLLIAM CARTER WHITE, A HISTORY OF MILITARY MUSIC..!..!! AMER lOA (NEW YORK: THE EXPOSlT I ON PRESS'; P. 33•
t944r,u
, . • "t
I I I
TO
INSTILL WITHIN THE TROOPS WAS OF SIGNIFICANT VALUE.
OUR-
lNG THE CIVIL WAR THIS MUSICAL CONTRIBUTION PROMPTED GENERAL PHILIP
H.
MORE THAN
SHERIDAN TO SAY, ITS SHARE,
"MuSIC HAS DONE
ITS SHARE,
IN WINNING THIS WAR.n2
RICHMOND, SAID,
PI
A FEW DAYS AFTER THE WAR, TELL YOU GENTLEMEN,
[VEN THE CON-
AT A
FEDERATES ACKNOWLEDGED THE VALUE OF MUSIC.
AND
ME~TING
IN
ONE CoNFEDERATE OFFIC~R
IF WE HAD HAD YOUR SONGS,
WE
WOULD HAVE WHIPPED YOU OUT OF YOUR BOOTS.n3 WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST "ScHOOL OF PRACTICE FOR Ue LAND,
S.
ARMY FIELD MUSICIANSn AT FORT JAY,
NEW YORK,
GOVERNORS
IN THE EARLY El GHTEEN HUNDR~DS,
IS-
THE GUIDE-
LINES AND PATTERNS WERE SLOWLY BEING SET FOR AN AS YET UNTHOUGHT OF NAVY COUNTERPART•
AND DURING THIS
CIVILIANS WERE ALSO FORMING A VARIETY BOTH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN,
OF BANOS.
PERIOD,
MANY
THUS,
BANDS,
WERE GRADUALLY BECOMING A PART OF
OUR HERITAGE• THE NAUTICAL SIDE OF BEHIND THAT OF THE ARMYe
BANDS,
HOWEVER,
LAGGED CONSIDERABLY
THIS WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE THERE WAS
NOT THE SAME NEED FOR A DEFINITE CADENCE FOR MARCHING AS WAS THE CASE
IN THE ARMY.
To BE SURE,
SEAMEN BOARDED THEIR SHIPS,
THEY HAD SUNG TO PROVIDE SOME
KINO OF CADENCE AS THEY WORKED, OF
FROM THE FIRST TIME OUR
BUT ONLY GRADUALLY THE NEED
INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT FOR THESE SONGS AS WELL AS FOR
THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF
THE MEN MADE
ITSELF KNOWN•
THE ATTEMPT TO TRACE THIS HISTORY 10
RESEARCH.
RATHER THAN TAKING SEVERAL COLLECTIONS OF
2WtLLIAM CARTER WHITE,
3.L!!!.e..,
HAS REQUIRED MUCH BAS-
P.
Bt.
QP •
.IV
.£..!...!.•,
P•74•
I HAVE HAD TO COLLECT
DEVELOPED FACT AND ASSIMILATING THEM 1
MATERIAL FROM MOSTLY UNPUBLISHED OR ORIGINAL SOURCES AS WELL AS THE FEW PUBLISHED RECORDS.
WITH THESE SOURCES, WITH MY
KNOWLEDGE AS A NAVY MUSICIAN FOR NINETEEN YEARS, BIT OF EDUCATED GUESSWORK, AN ACCOUNT OF THE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
HISTORY OF BANDS
AND WITH A
PUT TOGETHER
IN OUR NAVY.
SPECIAL MENTION SHOULD BE MADE OF WILLIAM CARTER WHITE 1 S
A HISTORY OF MILITARY MuSIC IN AMERICA 1 WHICH IS THE ONLY PUBLISHED ACCOUNT OF AMERICAN MILITARY BANDS.
THIS WORK BE-
1943•
GINS BEFORE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND ENDS ABOUT WAS
PREPARED 1
TO A GREAT EXTENT,
BANOS THAT HAD APPEARED
IT
FROM ARTICLES ON MILITARY
IN VARIOUS AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS 1
AND ALTHOUGH CERTAIN SECTIONS OR POINTS ARE NOT COMPLETELY ACCURATE,
IT DOES PROVIDE A GREAT QUANTITY OF WORTHWHILE
FORMATION.
THE MAJORITY OF WHITE'S
THE HISTORY OF ARMY BANDS 1
BUT THERE
BOOK CONCERNS
IN-
ITSELF WITH
IS A LOT OF VALUABLE
IN-
FORMATION CONCERNING THE HISTORY OF NAVY BANDS AND THE SCHOOL
oF
Musto. IN ORDER TO EMPHASIZE CERTAIN POINTS,
CLUDE NUMEROUS QUOTATIONS. JARGON WHICH THEREFORE,
UNFORTUNATELY, MANY
ARE WITH
INNAVY
ALL SINGLE SPACE INDENTED QUOTATIONS ARE ACTUAL
J WOULD STRONGLY URGE THAT
THE READER TAKE THE TIME TO THOROUGHLY
READ ALL OF THESE AS
IMPORTANT TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS THESIS.
MY SINCEREST THANKS TO ALL MY FRIENDS, CIVILIAN,
HAD TO
I HOPE THE READER WILL BE ABLE TO DECIPHER.
QUOTES FROM THE SOURCES CITED.
THEY ARE
J HAVE
WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED
v
BOTH MILITARY AND
INFORMATION AND GIVEN ADVICE
AND GUIDANCE.
I NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN
WITHOUT THEIR HELP
ABLE TO COMPLETE THIS UNDERTAKING.
AND A SPECIAL WORD OF
APPRECIATION TO OR. DONALD Ma McCORKLE WHO HAS ADVISED, COURAGED,
AND HELPED ME TO «AMPLIFY« MY THOUGHTS
EN-
IN THIS
WORK. THE RESULT OF THIS EFFORT
IS AN ATTEMPT TO SYNTHESIZE
THE DIVERGENT HISTORIES OF THE VARIOUS MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS, ANO
IN SO OOING,
GIVE AN
INSIGHT
HISTORY•
VI
INTO A NEW CHAPTER OF NAVAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
CHAPTER
FOREWORD AND INTRODUCTION TO NAVY MUSIC • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
"
.
I I
I·
EARLY NAVY BANDS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT ••••••••••
II•
THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY BAND ••••••••••••
15
I II•
THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND •••••••••••••••••••••
33
tV.
THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
47
V.
GENERAL SERVICE BANDS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••
69
VI.
THE FUTURE OF NAVY BANOS ••••••••••••••••••••••••
83
VI I·
CONCLUSIONS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
98
APPENDIX A. APPENDIX B. APPENDIX
c.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS NAS JACKSONVILLE UNIT BAND 191 I - 15 APRIL 65 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••
105
BASIC HULL ALLOWANCE LIBRARY
60 PIECE BAND •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 107
MISSION OF MUSIC BRANCH ••••••••••••••••••
124
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 126
vI~-I
CHAPTER I EARLY NAVY BANDS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT THE
EARLIEST MUSIC OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY WAS THE
SEA CHANTY WHICH WAS SUNG WERE ALSO
DRUMMERS AND FIFERS ON THE
"sOUNDED" CALLS MONIES.
BY THE CREW AS THEY WORKED.
AND
FOR
GENERAL ORDERS
THERE
EARLY FRIGATES WHO
AND OTHER OFFICIAL CERE-
IT WOULD BE A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION THAT THESE
HMUSICIANS 11 PROVIDED SOME KIND OF MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR THEIR SHIPMATES
DURING LEISURE HOURS.
THERE ARE MANY THE EARLY
INTERESTING STORIES CONCERNING
DAYS OF OUR NAVY.
IF FICTITIOUS,
THEY DO PROVIDE
HISTORY~ MILITARY MUSIC
THE BOSTON PUT CUSTOM,
IN
INTERESTING READING.
IN
EVEN
ONE OF
"a
IN AMERICA,tt CONCERNS THE AMERICAN
1802, WHILE ON A MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 1
INTO PORT AT MESSINA,
SICILY.
AS WAS THE
THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE OF OFFICIAL COURTESIES AND AN
ITALIAN BAND STATIONED AT MESSINA CAME ABOARD TO CONCERT•
OR
IN WILLIAM CARTER WHITE 1 S,
THESE STORIES AS RECOUNTED
CRUISER BOSTON.
PERHAPS THEY ARE TRUE,
BANOS
THE CAPTAIN WAS SO
SPITE OF THEIR PROTESTS,
HE
PRESENT A
PLEASED WITH THE SAND THAT
IN
IMMEDIATELY SET SAIL FOR AMERICA
WITH THE MUSICIANS STILL ON BOARD. ANOTHER STORY,
ALSO
RELATED BY WHITE,
8-PIECE BAND WHICH WAS NOT KIDNAPPED
CONCERNS AN
BUT RATHER CAPTURED
IN
1812 BY OUR FRIGATE UNITED STATES FROM THE BRITISH MAN-OF-WAR MACEDONIANe
THE OUTCOME OF THIS BRITISH
BAND
IS NOT KNOWN 1
2 BUT
IT
IS ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE REQUIRED TO ENTERTAIN
THEIR CAPTIVES WITH THEIR MUSICAL TALENTS. THE FIRST MUSICIAN OFFICIALLY RECORDED ON AN AMERICAN WARSHIP WAS A JAMES F. BRANDYWINE ON JULY BESIDE HIS NAME, LUTIONARY WAR,
26, 1825,
HE SIGNED ABOARD THE
AND SOMEONE CAREFULLY ENTERED
nTEN DOLLARS A MONTH.nl
DURING THE REVO-
AND FOR SOME TIME AFTERWARDS,
NAVAL PERSONNEL WERE HIGHLY
DRAPER•
INACCURATE AND
RECORDS OF
INCOMPLETE,
SO
IT
IS
PROBABLE THAT THERE WERE MUSICIANS ON SHIPS LONG
BE-
FORE DRAPER• PRIOR TO AND AROUND
1825,
TWEEN A MUSICIAN AND A SEAMAN. PERFORM HIS nOECKN DUTIES, TIME OR TALENT, THUS, ONLY
AND
THERE WAS
A IF
NO DISTINCTION BE-
MAN WAS FIRST REQUIRED TO THERE WAS ANY REMAINING
HE WOULD THEN PERFORM HIS "MUSICAL" DUTIES.
THESE MEN WERE ABLE-BODIED SEAMEN FIRST AND MUSICIANS BY CHANCE• THE EXISTENCE OF BANOS
IN THE EARLY
DAYS OF OUR NAVY
APPARENT FROM THE WRITINGS OF GEORGE JONES,
IS
A SCHOOLMASTER,
WHO SAILED ON THE BRANDYWINE WHEN SHE ESCORTED GENERAL LAFAYETTE BACK TO FRANCE AFTER HIS VISIT TO THE TOMB OF WASHINGTON
IN
1824.
IN HIS DIARY HE TELLS OF SEVERAL BALLS
AND RECEPTIONS THAT WERE HELD FOR VOYAGE•
THE GUESTS
DURING THAT
HE ALSO MENTIONS A FUNERAL AT SEA AT WHICH THERE
WAS MUSIC OF SOME SORT. ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS
THEREFORE,
THERE CERTAINLY WERE
BESIDES DRAPER ABOARD THE BRANDYWINE.
LATER JONES WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE MAN-OF-WAR CoNSTITUTION, 1 WILLIAM CARTER WHITE, A HISTORY OF MILITARY MUSIC AMERICA (NEW YORK: THE [XPOSlTION PRES5; t944), P.
83.
IN
'\
'
3 AND WRITING
IN
1e26 HE SAID,
lt••t ~E
HAVE A FINE
BAND ON
CONTAINING ABOUT TWENTY EXCELLENT MUSICIANs." CONSTITUTION DID CARRY ABOUT IT
IS
POSSIBLE
THAT OTHER
nTWENTY
FRIGATES
2
BOARD
IF THE
EXCELLENT MUSICIANS"
DID
THE SAME,
BUT THERE
ARE NO RECORDS TO SUBSTANTIATE THIS. A DIARY WRITTEN BY A SEAMAN ON THE CONSTITUTION FURTHER PROVES THE EXISTENCE OF ENTRY
DESCRIBES
BANDS ON THIS AND OTHER SHIPS.
BURIAL AT
A
SEA
ONE
WITH THESE WORDS:3
THE DEAD MARCH FROM SAUL PEALED FORTH FROM THE SEVERAL INSTRUMENTS OF OUR MUSICIANS AND THE SWEET SOUNDS WERE WAFTED ON THE BREEZE AND EVERY BOSOM WAS FILLED WITH AWE AND SOLEMNITYe THE SHIP 1 S CORDS
LOG OF THE CONSTELLATION,
THAT A JOHN H.
8AND 11 ON AuGUST
31,
PAGE WAS 1826.
1,
THESE THE CREW;
11
PROMOTED TO
ANOTHER
ENTRY
MAN WILLIAM TUTON WAS PROMOTED TO THE SEPTEMBER
A SISTER SHIP,
MASTER OF THE
RECORDS
1826.
EARLY NAVY MUSICIANS WERE USUALLY THAT
IS,
THERE WAS
NO
EFFORT TO
RECRUITED FROM
ENCOURAGE MEN TO
ON /~PR I L 5,
HOWEVER_,
WILLIAM RAYMOND WAS
AS A MUSICIAN AT
1825,
OF
ENLISTED
RECEIVING AN
E~JTRANCE
TEN DOLLARS A MONTH.4
JULIAN GOMZALES WAS PERSONNEL MUSICIANS
RATED
IN MANY OF
SALARY,
INDEED MANY WERE
1830,
A
NORFOLK,
LIKE 0RAPER 1 S
AND ON JANUARY 30,
IN
1830,
A
''FIRST-CLASSJJ MUSICIAN. THESE EARLY
BANOS
AS UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP WAS
2waLLIAM
THAT SEA-
RANK OF MUSICIAN ON
ENLIST SOLELY AS MUSICIANS.
VIRGINIA,
ALSO RE-
IN THE UNl~ED S~~~ES N~Vl
CARTER WHITE, OP. 3rsaD., P. 84b -L~ ALL HANDs' ApR I L I 96 5, p.
P.
INCLUDED FOREIGN NOT A REQUIREMENT• FOR YE~RS W\~HOUT
84.
4 EVER SEEING THIS COUNTRY.
RECORDED
DELAWARE WAS THE ENLISTMENT OF AN ITALIAN MUSICIANS ON SEPTEMBER
IN THE
LOG OF THE U.S.$.
ITALIAN BANDMASTER AND FIVE
17, 1827.
LATER RECORDS ON
THE SAME SHIP SHOW THAT THESE MUSICIANS WERE DISCHARGED
IN
t828. THE BER
LOG OF
t4, 1839,
THE FRIGATE UNITED STATES RECORDS ON DECEM-
THE ENTIRE SHIP 1 S BAND OF
ITALIAN MUSICIANS
HAD ULEFT 11 THE NAVY AFTER A SHORT TERM OF SERVICE. AND OTHER ENTRIES SERVED
$.
INDICATE THE BRIEF TIME MANY FOREIGNERS
IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
As U.
THESE
CITED
NAVY
IN WHITE 1 S BOOK,
BANDMASTER
J. A.
BAND LATER WROTE OF THIS PROBLEM
ON BAND MUSIC
WtNN OF THE
IN HIS
BOOKLET
IN THE NAVY:5
IT CANNOT BE DENIED THAT EUROPEAN MUSICIANS MADE UP THE MAJORITY OF THE SHIPS 1 BANOS EVEN AS LATE AS 1907. BUT WE DO NOT LOOK UPON THIS PERIOD AS BEING ESPECIALLY PRODUCTIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BAND MUSIC IN THE UNITED $TATES NAVY. As WE HAVE ALREADY SAID, THE FOREIGN MUSICIANS WERE UNRELIABLE AND FREQUENTLY LEFT THE SHIP AT THEIR EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY. MANY OF THEM ENLISTED IN ORDER TO GET PASSAGE TO AMERICA AND AS SOON AS THEY REACHED THIS COUNTRY THEY DESERTED• THE LEADER OF THE SHIP 1 S BAND IN THOSE DAYS FREQUENTLY FOUND HIMSELF WITHOUT A SINGLE MUSICIAN, OR, AT LEAST, ~UST A REMNANT OF HIS REGULAR BAND.
LIEUTENANT CHARLES BENTER, NAVY BAND,
GIVES AN
BANDMASTERS•
~WILLI AM ~.,
INSIGHT
WRITING
A FORMER LEADER OF THE U.S.
INTO THE
PROBLEMS OF THE EARLY
IN W1NN 1 S BOO~LET,
CARTER WHITE, pp. 87-88.
Qp •
.£.!..!•,
P.
HE SAID:
87.
6
'" .1
\'
5 AT THE TIME I JOINED THE MISSISSIPPI AS LEADER (1906), FOREIGN MUSICIANS WERE DECIDEDLY IN PREDOMINANCE. MANY OF THESE MEN ONLY ENTERED BANDS TO GET PASSAGE TO AMERICA, WHERE THEY HEARD OF FABULOUS SUMS PAID FOR MUSICIANS AND HAD VISIONS OF EASY WEALTH. THESE MUSICIANS WERE JUST FLOATERS. AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS PAY THEY WOULD SKIP THE SHIP AND NEVER RETURN. THEIR FREQUENT DESERTIONS WOULD LEAVE SKELETON BANDS ON THE BATTLESHIPS. IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP A WELL ORGANIZED, COMPETENT BAND FOR ANY LENGTH IN THOSE DAYS.
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF NAVY ALL-AMERICAN BAND. PHLET,
BANOS THERE WAS,
HOWEVER,
AN EXTRACT FROM THOMAS CARROLL'S PAM-
11 8ANDS AND BAND MUSIC
IN SALEMn
Qv1ASS~
(1900),
APPEARS TO PROVE THIS FACT!? LOUIS KEHRHAHAN, LEADER OF THE SALEM BRASS BAND IN 1859, REMOVED TO BOSTON IN 1860. WHEN THE CIVIL WAR BEGAN HE DETERMINED TO RECRUIT A BAND FOR THE NAVY, SO HE WENT TO SALEM AND ENCOURAGED SEVERAL OF HIS OLD COMRADES TO ENLIST, AMONG WHOM WAS BOB THOMAS, A FAMOUS CORNET PLAYER. KEHRHAHAN 1 S BAND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FLAGSHIP "MINNESOTA"• THIS VESSEL, WITH THE FRIGATES "CUMBERLAND" AND °CONGRESSn, WAS ANCHORED IN HAMPTON ROADS, WHEN 1 ON MARCH 8, 1862, THE CONFEDERATE IRON CLAD "MERRIMAC" CAME OUT OF NORFOLK AND OPENED FIRE. THE "CuMBERLAND« SANK, THE "CONGRESS" CAUGHT FIRE AND THE "MINNESOTA«, HAVING RUN AGROUND, WAS HELPLESS. THE PROVIDENTIAL ARRIVAL OF THE "MONITOR", HOWEVER, SAVED THE "MINNESOTA". A SINGULAR INCIDENT WAS THAT 1 THE LAST SHOT FIRED BY THE "MERRIMAC", WHEN SHE WAS RETIRING AFTER BEING WORSTED IN HER BATTLE WITH THE LITTLE "MONITOR«, STRUCK THE "MINNESOTA" WITHOUT DAMAGING THE VESSEL TO ANY GREAT EXTENT, BUT A PIECE OF SHELL WOUNDED BOB THOMAS ON THE LIP 1 THE RESULT OF WHICH PERMANENTLY INTERFERED WITH HIS PLAYING.
OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF
7WILLIAM CARTER WHITE,
BANDS BY THE NAVY FINALLY
Qf• ~·~ PP.88-89.
ONE
6 OCCURRED
1838.
IN
REGISTER"
IN THAT YEAR THE "PAY-TABLE OF THE NAVY
(A GRAPHIC
ALLOWANCES),
INDEX OF THE
AUTHORIZED BANDS TO CONSIST OF ONE BANDMASTER,
FOUR FIRST-CLASS MUSICIANS, How THE NAVY
PAY SCALE AND AUTHORIZED
AND ONE SECOND-CLASS MUSICIAN.
EXPECTED SIX MEN TO PERFORM AS A MUSICAL GROUP
IS DIFFICULT TO
UNDERSTAND,
ESPECIALLY
IF THE BANDMASTER
EXERCISED HIS PREROGATIVE TO CONDUCT.
IT
IS ALSO
INTEREST-
lNG TO MENTION THAT ARMY BANDS OF THAT PERIOD WERE ONLY ELEVEN MEN
INCLUDING THE LEADER.
THUS,
SERVICE BANOS WERE
ALL ON A "sMALLn SCALE• IN
t854
THE NAVY
DEPARTMENT PUBLISHED A ''TABLE OF AL-
LOWANCES OF EQUIPMENT, OF THE
U. S.
NAVY."
OUTFITS,
INCLUDED
MENTS FOR A SHIPBOARD BAND. ORIGINAL SPELLING:
AND STORES FOR THE VESSELS
IN
THIS ALLOWANCE WERE
THEY WERE AS FOLLOWS,
INSTRU-
WITH THE
8
IJ•qJ
CLARIONET J_SIQ] CORNOPION 0PHOC LEI DE ]::SIQj HIPOCOMO OR ALTO HORN SNARES (2) THE ENTIRE COST OF THE INSTRUMENTS FOR BAND, INCLUDING A PROPER ONE FOR THE MASTER OF THE BAND IS NOT TO EXCEED TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY DOLLARS. THEY WILL BE RECEIPTED FOR BY THE MASTER, AND ACCOUNTED FOR BY HIM AT THE END OF THE VOYAGE.
THE ABOVE LIST,
ALTHOUGH MEAGER,
NEEDS SOME COMMENT.
CLARIONET IS SIMPLY THE OBSOLETE SPELLING OF CLARINET; CORNOPION
(RECTE OORNOPEAN),
STOP, WAS THE EARLY NAME
NOW USED TO DESIGNATE AN ORGAN
IN ENGLAND FOR THE CORNET;
8THE MUSICAL QUARTERLY, JULY
•947,
VOL.
XXXIII,
P.
382.
7 0PHOCLEIDE
(REOTE OPHICLEIDE),
WAS A BASS
ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS THE KENT BUGLE, EUROPE
IN THE EARLY
19TH CENTURY,
INSTRUMENT MADE AND WAS
POPULAR
IN
BUT WAS GRADUALLY REPLACED
BY THE TUBA, AND THE SNARES WERE PRESUMABLY SNARE DRUMS. HIPOCOMO OR ALTO HORN PRESENTS A PROBLEM AS THE WORD HIPOCOMO
IS
NOT FOUND
IN ANY HISTORY OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
NOR WAS THE SMITHSONIAN TION FOR SUCH A NAME. ALTO HORN ITSELF.
INSTITUTION ABLE TO GIVE ANY
MANY NAMES HAVE BEEN APPLIED TO THE
IN AMERICA,
CALLED THE EU TENOR HORN; ITALY,
EXPLANA-
DURING THIS PERIOD,
IN FRANCE,
DURING THE SAME PERIOD,
THE SAXHORN,
IT WAS AND
IN
THE FLICORNO CONTRALTO.
SINCE THE CONTEXT SHOWS HIPOCOMO TO BE SYNONYMOUS WITH ALTO HORN, IT
AND SINCE THAT
INSTRUMENT HAD VARIOUS NAMES AND SHAPES,
IS POSSIBLE THAT HIPOCOMO WAS THE TRADE OR
USED BY SOME MANUFACTURER. PART OF OR THE ENTIRE WORD
OR
IT
PATENT NAME
IS HIGHLY POSSIBLE THAT
IS MISSPELLED AND THE LAST PART
MIGHT HAVE BEEN "cORNOtr MEANING HORN,
RATHER THAN
THERE ARE NO RECORDS OF HOW THIS PARTICULAR TION ORIGINATED,
OR Eo,
INSTRUMENTAIS WOR-
THE CLARIONET COULD HAVE BEEN
IN
AND WAS A WOODWIND SOPRANO INSTRUMENT; THE
CORNOPEAN WAS SIMPLY A BRASS CORNET AND A SOPRANO THE OPHICLEIDE, CLEIDE,
COMO."
BUT SUCH AN UNUSUAL INSTRUMENTATION
THY OF FURTHER DISCUSSION.
Bb, C,
11
INSTRUMENT;
ALSO BRASS, WAS PRESUMABLY THE BASS OPHI-
RATHER THAN THE TENOR OR ALTO OPHICLEIDE;
HORN WAS NOTHING MORE THAN AN ALTO SIZE TUBA,
AND
THE ALTO IT
IS AS-
SUMED THAT THE SNARES WERE THE CONVENTIONAL TYPE OF SNARE DRUMS• THIS BAND WAS NOT TYPIOAL Or THE ENGLISH, FRENCH OR
8 GERMAN BANDS OF THAT PERIOD, ANY GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
ITS SOUND WOULD HARDLY FIT
THE CLARIONET WOULD SOUND VERY
SIMILAR TO TODAY 1 S CLARINET; THE CORNET OF TODAY,
AND
ALTHOUGH
THE CORNOPEAN WOULD SOUND L&KE PERHAPS A BIT MORE MELLOW;
THE OPHICLEIOE WOULD HAVE A GENERAL BARITONE OR HIGH SOUND,
BASS
AND THE ALiO HORN WOULD HAVE A SOUND SIMILAR TO THAT
OF A FRENCH HORN,
ALTHOUGH NOT AS DARK.
THIS
INSTRUMENTA-
TION WOULD PRODUCE A VERY THIN TEXTURE WITH ONLY TWO MELODY INSTRUMENTS,
ONE ALTO,
THE RHYTHM•
PERHAPS
ONE BASS,
AND TWO
DRUMS TO ENFORCE
IT COULD BE CALLED A "cHAMBER BAND"•
THE SMALL ALLOWANCE FOR BANDS REMAINED STATIONARY UNTIL
1864
WHEN AN "ALLOWANCE FOR VESSELS OF THE U.
AUTHORIZED THE
INSTRUMENTATION OF
TO TWENTY MUSIOIANS:
BANOS TO NUMBER FROM SIX
9
9THE MUSICAL QUARTERLY,
QP.
S. NAVY 11
£!!•,
P.
383.
FOR A BAND NUMBERING
Eb SoPRANO B'o SoPRANO Elo ALTO Blo TENOR B'o BARITONE B'o BASS Eb TUBA E'o CLARIONET Bb CLARIONET FLUTE CYMBALS, TURKISH SETS RESPECTIVELY NOT TO EXCEED IN COST
20
19
18
17
t6
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 2
3 3 2 2
3 2 2 2
2 2 2 2
I I
I
I
I
I
I
I
2
2
2
2
I I
I
I
I
I
I I
I
I
.
.I
I
I
•
I
I
2
15 •4 13 12 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 I I I 2 0 0 0 I I 0 I I 2 I 2 2 I I
10 9 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 I
II
I
0
I
I I
0
I I I
I I
I I
I
I
0
0
0 0
I
I
I
I
I
I
$589
557 529 509 49•
FoR MusiC AND Mus 10 PAPER
$50
48 46 43 40
TOTAL DOLLARS
$639
605 575 552 531
I I
I
1
I
I
I
0
457 423 375 330 298 270
2
7 2
1
I
I I
I I
1
0
6 2 I I I
0
0
I
I
0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
I
I
I
0
2L~O
220 177 •52
I
0 0 0 0 0 0 I
8
I
COST OF INST·
$18.00 20.00 28.00 32.00
3~·00 4 .oo 5.00
30.00 30.00 50.00 25.00
38 36 34 32 30 28 26 24 22 20 495 459 409 362 328 298 266 244 •99 172
'-0
APPENDED TO THE ALLOWANCE WAS THE FOLLOWING: ARRANG£0 FOR TWELVE
LESS~
NUMBER MORE OR THIS TABLE IT APPEARS AS
INSTRUMENTS~
AS
BUT CAN
THE ABOVE TABLE
BE
"BAND MUSIC PLAYED
WITH
APPROACH AND
NO KNOWLEDGE OF
ASSIGNED THE TASK OF COMPILING THIS
LIST.
MUSIC~
BY THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION,
WAS
THEY SIMPLY
STARTED WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBERS FOR THE SIZES AND AND
BY ANY
EXHIBITS.n
IS CERTAINLY NOT A REALISTIC
IF SOMEONE,
IS
COSTS~
ARRIVED AT THE VARIOUS
FIGURES•
t864
FROM LOWED NO SIZE~
UNTIL THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY NAVY BANDS FOL-
GENERAL OR UNIFIED
UNCERTAIN ABILITY OF
PERSONNEL,
AND A SOMEWHAT
PLAN.
BECAUSE OF THEIR SMALL
MUSICIANS~
UNRELIABLE FOREIGN
INDIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS
BANOS ON THE PART OF THE NAVY,
THESE
CALLED MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS.
NO
UNITS COULD BARELY
RECORDS ARE
BE
AVAILABLE~
BUT
THEIR MUSIC MUST HAVE CONSISTED OF PLAYING MARCHES AS THE CREW WORKED OR
DRILLED AND PLAYING HONORS
FOR VISITING DIG-
NITARIES. THE WAR YEARS
J9t7-t9t8
BROUGHT ABOUT MANY CHANGES TO
THIS NATION AND THESE CHANGES HAD A DEFINITE NAVY THE
BANOS• NAVY~
TRAS AND
INFLUENCE ON
FOR THE FIRST TIME MANY YOUNG MUSICIANS ENTERED
ENLISTING BANOS.
DIRECTLY FROM THE MAJOR SYMPHONY ORCHES-
AND THIS
INFLUX OF MUSICIANS
IMPROVED CON-
SIDERABLY THE QUALITY OF NAVY MUSIC. DURING THIS
PERIOD JOHN PHILIP SOUSA ENTERED THE NAVY
BECAUSE OF A REQUEST HE RECEIVED FROM JOHN ALDEN CARPENTER,
I I
WHO WAS A COMPOSER AND PERSONAL FRIEND:
tO
THE NAVAL STATION (GREAT lAKES, ILL•) HAS A UNDEVELOPED BAND WHICH NEEDS THE INSPIRATION OF A MASTER HAND TO START THEM ON THE RIGHT TRACK• GOULD YOU COME HERE IF ONLY FOR A FEW DAYS TO START THE WORK AND BRING WITH YOU A BANDMASTER OF THE RIGHT PERSONALITY TO CONTINUE THE INSTRUCTION. I REALIZE HOW MUCH I ASK AND KNOW YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR THE CAUSE.
SOUSA WENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO GREAT
LAKES,
AND AF1
TER HEARING THE STATION BAND AND DISCUSSING THE NAVY S NECESSITY FOR MUSIC,
1917,
FROM MAY, LIEUTENANT
DECIDED TO JOIN AND GIVE HIS ASSISTANCE.
1919 1
UNTIL MARCH 1
JOHN
PHILIP SOUSA WAS THE
IN CHARGE OF MUSIC AT GREAT LAKES WHICH BECAME
THE FOCAL POINT FOR NAVY BANOSo IN A DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMANDANT OF THE NAVAL STATION 1
SOUSA PROPOSED FORMING A BATTALION BAND OF THREE HUN-
ORED AND FIFTY MUSICIANS WHICH WOULD BE UNDER HIS DIRECTION. WARRANTED, TION•
HE ALSO PROPOSED TO ORGANIZE,
AS ENLISTMENTS
BANDS TO BE ASSIGNED TO EACH REGIMENT OF THE STA-
THIS REGIMENTAL BAND
TO THE NAVY•
IDEA PROVED TO BE OF GREAT VALUE
WHEN A REQUEST WAS RECEIVED FROM THE NAVY
DEPARTMENT FOR A BAND FOR A SHIP OR STATION, TO SEND
SOUSA WAS ABLE
IMMEDIATELY ONE OF THE REGIMENTAL BANDS WHICH WAS AN
ORGANIZED GROUP OF MUSICIANS, ANOTHER,
PERSONAL
UA GROUP OF MEN WHO KNOW ONE
POSSESSED A COMMON REPERTOIRE,
AND UNDERSTOOD HOW
TO PLAY TOGETHERoUII ONCE THE REGIMENTAL BAND PROGRAM WAS IOJOHN PHILIP SOUSA, MARCHING ALONG 0USHMAN 1 AND FLINT, 194t), P. 310. Ill!!£•, Po 312.
FIRMLY ESTABLISHED, (BOSTON:
HALE,
12 SOUSA
LEFT THE ACTUAL ADMINISTRATION OF THIS
ENDEAVOR TO
OTHERS AND CONCENTRATED HIS EFFORTS ON THE GREAT LAKES BATTALION BAND WHICH SERVICE BANOS
DEVELOPED
IN THE COUNTRY.
INTO ONE OF
THE FINEST
THIS GROUP WAS COMPOSED OF
YOUNG MEN WHO WERE FORMER MEMBERS Or COLLEGE AND CIVIC BANDS, 11
AND NO DOUBT SousA's CIVILIAN BAND.
THEY WERE A BRIGHT,
PLEASING
SoUSA SAID,
LOT AND FULL OF
ENTHUSIASM.
I HAD EXERCISED GREAT CARE IN SELECTING THE MUSIC, MAKING SURE THAT
IT WAS WITHIN THE COMPREHENSION AND EXECUTION OF
THE BAND.nl CONCERTS
2
IN THIS COUNTRY AND WERE
RAISING MONEY
I THEY PRESENTED NUMEROUS
THROUGHOUT WORLD WAR
ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE
IN
IN THE LIBERTY LOAN DRIVES.
THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION THAT SOUSA WAS SINCERE EFFORTS TO ASSIST THIS COUNTRY
IN THE WAR EFFORT.
IN HIS
UPON EN-
TERING THE NAVY HE DEVOTED ALL OF HIS TIME AND TALENTS TO THE CAUSE AS WELL AS
TAKING A PERSONAL FINANCIAL LOSS.
How-
EVER,
IN SERVING HIS COUNTRY HE WAS ALSO ABLE TO KEEP THE
SOUSA
IMAGE AND HIS MUSIC
BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
WITH THE SIGNING OF THE ARMISTICE AND DEMOBILIZATION OF THE ARMED FORCES, MANY OF THESE BANOS AS THEY HAD BEEN ASSEMBLED. FOLLOWING WORLD WAR CUTE AND VARIOUS
IN THE YEARS
IMMEDIATELY
I THE SHORTAGE OF MUSICIANS BECAME A-
PLANS WERE
ALTHOUGH WITH VERY
BUT
DISAPPEARED AS QUICKLY
INSTITUTED TO BOLSTER NAVY MUSIC,
LITTLE SUCCESS.
DURING THE DEPRESSION YEARS
AND FOR
ABOUT
THE NEXT TEN
YEARS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NAVY MUSICIANS WAS A LITTLE OVER I2JOHN PHILIP SousA,
OP. £!!•'
P.
313.
13 ONE THOUSAND,
AS THE FOLLOWING TABLES SHOW:
NUMBER
I
Jt I
2
6 2
3
TOTAL
SIZE
78-PIECE 75-PIECE 23-PIECE 17-PIECE 13-PIECE 12-PIECE 8-PIECE 5-PIECE
1
BAND BAND BANOS BANDS BAND ORCHESTRAS ORCHESTRAS ORCHESTRAS
78 75
92 748
~
48
10
1
,o88
.!.22!± 2
2 43 I
2
76-P I EC E 23-PIECE I '(- P I EO E 13-PIEOE 12-PIECE 5-PIECE
BAN OS BANDS BANDS BAND ORCHESTRA ORCHESTRAS
76-PIECE 23-PIECE 21-PIECE 17-PIECE I)-PIECE t3-PIECE t2-PIECE 5-PIECE
BANOS BANOS BANOS BANDS BAND ORCHESTRAS ORCHESTRA ORCHESTRAS
·a~ 73•
•3
12 tO
J..9.1§ 2
4 2
38 I
6 I
2
r,045
IT WAS NOT UNTIL WORLD WAR WAS ONCE AGAIN ESTABLISHED·
I I THAT A LARGE BAND PROGRAM
AGAIN A LARGE PORTION OF YOUNG
MUSICIANS ENTERED THE ARMED FORCES•
FROM
t941,
AND THROUGH
13ROOM 1810 OF THE BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL• CABINET, 3RD AND 4TH DRAWERS.
IST FILE
14
THE WAR YEARS,
THE NAVY BAND PROGRAM GREW UNTIL THERE WERE
AT THE PEAK
1943-44,
IN
ABOUT TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE BANOS
INVOLVING SOME 7,000 MUSICIANS. FROM 17 TO 21
MOST OF THESE BANOS WERE
PIECES AND WERE STATIONED ON AIRCRAFT CARRIERS,
BATTLESHIPS, CRUISERS,
AND
LARGE AUXILIARY SHIPS,
AT SHORE ACTIVITIES AND ADVANCED BASES PACIFic. 1
AS WELL AS
IN THE ATLANTIC AND
4
IN 1945 AND
1946
THESE BANDS WERE DEMOBILIZED QUICKLY,
AND ONCE AGAIN NAVY BANOS DIMINISHED. THE KOREAN WAR
IN JUNE OF
RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY• EVERY WAR 1
WITH THE OUTBREAK OF
1950, MANY RESERVE MUSICIANS WERE HOWEVER,
AFTER THIS WAR,
AS AFTER
NAVAL BANDS AND THE BAND PROGRAM WERE LEFT IN A
DEPLETED CONDITION. NAVY
BANOS FROM 1825 UNTIL 1917 WERE VERY UNSTABLE,
HAD
LITTLE OR NO ORGANIZATION, AND ABSOLUTELY NO REAL SENSE OF DIRECTION.
AND BEGINNING WITH WORLD WAR
NAVY BANOS BECOMES CYCLIC.
AT THE START OF ANY MAJOR CON-
FLICT THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN JOIN THE BAND PROGRAM. SUCH CONFLICTS, THERE
I, THE HISTORY OF
IMMEDIATE RUSH OF MUSICIANS TO
HOWEVER,
AFTER THE TERMINATION OF
IS THE SAME RUSH TO LEAVE THE PROGRAM.
THIS RAPID EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OCCURRED DURING BOTH WORLD WARS AND ON A SMALLER SCALE DURING THE KOREAN WAR. THERE SHOULD BE A THIRD WORLD WAR,
THE SAME CYOLE WOULD UN-
DOUBTEDLY BE REPEATED•
141NTERVIEW WITH LCOR.
t965.
MAX
E.
IF
CORRICK ON NOVEMBER
18,
II
CHAPTER
THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY BAND
SHORT~Y
AFTER THE FOUNDING OF THE NAVAL ACADEMY
IN
1845,
TWO LOCAL MUSICIANS WERE HIRED TO
PLAY FOR THE VARIOUS MILl-
TARY FORMATIONS.
FIFER;
DRUMMER,
WILLIAM BEALER,
AND JOHN JARVIS~
WERE THE FIRST nBAND" AND THE ONLY MUSICIANS
ACADEMY UNTIL
a853•l
ON MAY
7,
1853,
AT THE
THE UNION WEIGHED AN-
CHOR AT THE MOUTH OF THE SEVERN RIVER AND SET ASHORE A BAND. THIS
BAND,
UNDER BANDMASTER JOHN PHILLIP PFEIFFER, CONSISTED
OF ELEVEN MUSICIANS FROM THE CHARLESTOWN NAVY YARD JOHN JARVIS,
THE DRUMMER,
WAS
INCORPORATED
IN BoSTON•
INTO THIS GROUP
TO MAKE A UNIT OF THIRTEEN MEN• THIS BAND WAS AUTHORIZED BY AN ORDER FROM THE BUREAU OF ORDNANCE AND HYDROGRAPHY, DICATED 11 •
•
•
DATED NOVEMBER 22,
1852 WHICH
IN-
A BAND OF MUSIC TO CONSIST OF ONE MASTER OF
THE BAND AT EIGHTEEN DOLLARS PER MONTH; SICIANS AT TWELVE DOLLARS PER MONTH, MUSICIANS AT TEN DOLLARS PER MONTHe DESIGNATED AS FOLLOWS:
112
SIX FIRST-CLASS MU-
AND FIVE SECOND-CLASS (MUSICIAN RATINGS ARE
CHIEF MUSICIAN OR BANDMASTER; Must-
clAN FtRST-CLAss; MusiCIAN SECOND-CLAss, AND MusiCIAN THIRDCLASS•
THESE DESIGNATIONS DO NOT
OF A MUSICIAN, STRUCTURE•
BUT RATHER
THUS,
IMPLY THE MUSICAL ABILITIES
INDICATE HIS PLACE
A MUSICIAN FIRST-CLASS
IS
IN THE RATING NOT NECESSARILY
1WILLIAM CARTER WHITE, A HISTORY OF MILITARY MUSIC IN AMERICA (NEW YORK! THE EXPOStTION PRESS, P. 211•-2MtCHALE MRLIK, "SOME FACTS AND ASSUMPTIONS RELATIVE TO 11 THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE U.S. NAVAL AcADEMY BAND ,P.I•
1944),
I
5
A MORE QUALIFIED MUSICIAN THAN A SECOND-CLASS MUSICIAN.)
IN ADDITION TO THE RATHER MODEST
SALARIES~
EACH MAN RECEIVED
A DAILY RATION OF ONE POUND OF SALT BEEF OR PORK, RICE,
SOME VEGETABLES,
FLOUR 1
AND A PINT OF WINE OR A GILL OF WHIS-
KEY• THE
INSTRUMENTATION OF THIS
BAND WAS AS FOLLOWS:3
FLUTE AND PICCOLO Eb CLARINET 2 Bb CLARINETS 2 Bb CORNETS 2 FRENCH HORNS TROMBONE TENOR HORN BARITONE_ TUBA DRUM I
,
ALTHOUGH THIS WAS A SMALL BAND,
THE
INSTRUMENTATION WAS
ADEQUATE TO PLAY FOR PARADES AND CLASS FORMATIONS. BAND MEMBERS WERE NOT PERMITTED TO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE ACADEMY TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR
INCOME AND ALL MEMBERS WERE RE-
QUIRED TO FURNISH THEIR OWN
INSTRUMENTS AND COPY TH-EIR OWN
MUSIC•
ALTHOUGH THIS WAS AN AUTHORIZED NAVY BAND,
HAD BEEN APPROPRIATED FOR THE OPERATING EXPENSES;
NO MONEY THEREFORE,
EACH MIDSHIPMAN AND OFFICER CONTRIBUTED TWENTY-FIVE CENTS A MONTH TO THE BAND FUND. ONE OF THE EARLY SUPERINTENDENTS WANTED NEW DRESS FORMS FOR JOHN PFEIFFER 1 S BAND.
WHEN HE
UNI-
DISCOVERED THAT
THERE WERE NO FUNDS FOR DRESS UNIFORMS HE ORDERED ALL THE GRASS ON THE ACADEMY GROUNDS TO THUS,
BE MOWED AND SOLD AS HAY.
THE BAND GOT THEIR NEW UNIFORMS,
3MICHALE MRLIK,
Qp. -
CIT.,
Pe
2.
COMPLETE WITH
GOLD
BRAID AND FEATHERED HELMETS. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF BANDMASTER PFEIFFER THE BAND FOUND
ITS WAY
INTO THE ROUTINE OF THE ACADEMY,
BEGINNING
MANY OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE PRESENT ACADEMY BAND STILL PERFORM.
THE MUSICAL ABILITIES OF THIS FIRST BAND
HAPS
ILLUSTRATED BY THE FACT THAT PATRICK GILMORE,
BEST
IS PERAN
OUTSTANDING MUSICIAN OF THAT PERIOD AND A FORMER MEMBER OF JOHN
PFEIFFER'S BAND AT THE CHARLESTOWN NAVY YARD 1
TO JOIN THE ACADEMY BAND•
ALTHOUGH HE DECLINED,
THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BAND AND FELT THEY WERE OF
WAS
ASKED
HE FOLLOWED nHIGH
CHARACTER·" WITH THE OUTBREAK OF
THE CIVIL WAR,
MIDSHIPMEN WERE SENT TO SEA AND FOR REMAINING ACADEMY PERSONNEL, TO NEWPORT,
RHODE
THE BAND HAD
SECURITY REASONS,
INCLUDING THE BAND,
ABOARD THE BALTIC.
INCREAStD TO EIGHTEEN MEMBERS,
BRASS MUSICIANS. BEALER,
ISLAND,
THE UPPER-CLASS THE
WERE SENT
BY THIS TIME MO~T
OF WHOM WERE
AMONG THE NEW ADDITIONS WERE MUSICIANS
GLAZER, WoOLEY,
NAYOEN,
AND
ZIMMERMANN,
BEING THE FATHER OF THE CELEBRATED CHARLES WHO BECAME THE BAND LEADER ON SEPTEMBER 21
1
IN
A.
THE
LATTER
ZIMMERMANN
1887.
1861, THE MIDSHIPMEN MOVED INTO THE
ATLANTIC HOUSE
IN NEWPORT; MAYOR CRANSTON OF NEWPORT AND THE
SuPERINTENDENT
SPOKE~
AND THE BAND WAS
ING OF THE SUPERINTENDENT'S FLAG QUARTERS• ACADEMY•
PRESENT FOR THE RAIS-
AND THE MARCH TO THE NEW
THUS BEGAN THE CIVIL WAR YEARS FOR THE NAVAL HOWEVER,
NO MAJOR CHANGES,
OTHER THAN BEING AT
NEWPORT,
THERE WERE
AND THE MIDSHIPMEN AS WELL AS THE BAND
t8 FOLLOWED A NORMAL ROUTINE. WHEN THE CIVIL WAR ENDED THE MEMBERS OF THE NAVAL AcADEMY BAND WERE AUTOMATICALLY QUOTA.
OISCHARREO WITH THE RHODE
ISLAND
APPARENTLY SOME OF THE BANDSMEN DID NOT REALIZE THEY
HAD BEEN DISCHARGED,
AND DUTIFULLY RETURNED TO ANNAPOLIS•
THE SAND AS A RESULT OF THIS SITUATION WAS
THE STATUS OF THE BAND WAS CHANGED FROM AN
ENLISTED UNIT TO A CIVIL-SERVICE BAND. TIONAL PERIOD,
IN A DE-
IN ORDER TO REORGANIZE AND OBTAIN DESIR-
PLETED CONDITION. ABLE MUSICIANS,
LEFT
DURING THIS TRANSI-
PFEIFFER RETAINED THE LEADERSHIP,
WAS SUCCEEDED SUCCESSIVELY BY ONE MR. AND AN EQUALLY OBSCURE, MR. ABOUT THESE MEN AND
IT
HAMMER,
MARSHALL•4
BUT FINALLY
A MR. MYER 1
NOTHING
IS RECORDED
IS PROBABLE THAT THERE WAS GREAT CON-
FUSION ON THE PART OF THE BANDSMEN BECAUSE OF THE
LACK OF
ANY FIRM AND PERMANENT LEADERSHIP. JOHN PFEIFFER WAS RETIRED AS
BAND
LEADER
IN
1864,
HE REMAINED AS A SECOND-CLASS MUSICIAN UNTIL
1880.
EYESIGHT WAS THE REASON FOR HIS DISMISSAL AS
LEADER•
BUT
HIS POOR DURING
HIS TENURE HE HAD ARRANGED AND TRANSCRIBED MOST OF THE MUSIC USED BY THE BAND 1
RESULTING FOR HIM
IN NEAR
BLINDNESS AT THE
TIME OF HIS RETIREMENT. IN
1865
A PETER SCHOFF,
COMING TO THE ACADEMY FROM A
REGIMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CAVALRY, THIS CIVIL-SERVICE BAND.5 THE BUREAU OF NAVIGATION
ALSO
IN
ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF
1865,
AN
INCREASED THE SIZE OF THE BAND TO
ONE BANDMASTER AND TWENTY-EIGHT MUSICIANS. 4WILLIAM CARTER WHITE,
QP.
51!1£.,
--
P. 212.
AUTHORIZATION BY
£!!•,
P.
THE BANDMASTER
212.
RECEIVED YEAR,
$528.00
PER YEAR;
AND SECOND-CLASS MUSICIANS DURING THE TIME THE
BANDSMEN WERE
$300.00
$348.00
PER
PER YEAR.6
BAND WAS A CIVIL-SERVICE UNIT THE
PERMITTED TO PLAY iiOUTSIDE ENG_AGEMENTStt TO
SUPPLEMENT THEIR LY
FIRST-CLASS MUSICIANS
LOW MILITARY
PAY.
JN FACT,
DEPENDED ON THIS ADDITIONAL WORK.
THEY PRACTICAL-
WHEN THE ACADEMY
CLOSED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS AND THE MIDSHIPMEN WENT TO SEA,
THE
BANDSMEN TURNED
IN THEIR
UNIFORMS AND
MENT
IN CIVILIAN BANDS AT THE RESORT AREAS. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NO RECORDS OF
DURING THIS DREDS OF
PERIOD,
IT MAY
SONGS COMPOSED
BE ASSUMED,
FOUND EMPLOY-
THE TYPE OF MUSIC
BECAUSE OF THE HUN-
DURING THE CIVIL WAR,
THAT SUCH SE-
LECTIONS AS nTHE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLICll, THROUGH GEORGIA",
UMARYLAND,
MY MARYLAND",
BODY« WERE A PART OF THEIR REPERTOIRE. HAVE
PLAYED THE ACADEMY
TO THE NAVY HYMN.
THEY
USED
!!MARCHING 1
AND "JoHN 8ROWN S
THE
BAND ALSO MUST
SONGS WHICH
RANGED FROM A SEA CHANTY
UNDOUBTEDLY
ALSO HAD
IN THEIR REPER-
TOIRE THE NATIONAL AIRS OF VARIOUS
FOREIGN COUNTRIES,
THE AcADEMY SINCE
BEEN VISITED
ITS FOUNDING HAD
BECAUSE
BY MANY FOR-
EIGN DIGNITARIES. THERE MIGHT
NOT HAVE BEEN A BAND
IF
IT HAD NOT
BEEN FOR
THE BENEFITS AND OUTRIGHT CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MIDSHIPMEN AND OFFICERS•
VARIOUS
PLAYS AND TALENT
THE MIDSHIPMEN FOR THE
BENEFIT OF THE BAN De
f'MAR R I .ED LJFEfl AND "MRS.
OP.
PRESENTED BY
SUCH
JARLEY 1 S WAX WORKS 1f WERE
BY THE MIDSHIPMEN ON JANUARY 6MICHALE MRLI K,
SHOWS WERE
13TH AND
.£.!...!•,
P•
t4TH,
t874,
PLAYS AS PRES EN TED FOR THE
3·
..........._________________________
~
20 BENEFIT OF THE BAND. ENTERTAINMENT, PRESENTED OF
ON FEBRUARY
14TH OF THE SAME YEAR,
PROBABLY CONSISTING OF A TALENT SHOW WAS ALSO
IN THE GYMNASIUM TO ASSIST THE
nCHECKAGE OF ACCOUNT'',
THE ORIGINAL BAND WAS INCURRED BY THE
AN
IN
BAND.
AND A SYSTEM
SIMILAR TO THE SYSTEM USED TO HELP EFFECT TO HELP PAY FOR THE EXPENSES
BAND OVER AND ABOVE THEIR BASE PAY•
[ACH
MIDSHIPMAN'S ACCOUNT WAS ASSESSED FIFTY CENTS A MONTH FOR NINE MONTHS OF THE YEAR,
AND EACH OFFICER CONTRIBUTED ONE
DOLLAR A MONTH FOR THE SAME PERIOD• ANCE PROVED THAT THE MIDSHIPMEN AND
THIS FINANCIAL ASSISTOF~ICERS
WANTED A BANDe
ALTHOUGH THE BAND WAS OFFICIALLY A CIVIL-SERVICE UNIT 1 FOR ALL
INTENTS AND PURPOSES
BANDSMEN LIVED
BAND.
THE SINGLE
IN QUARTERS ABOARD THE WYANDANK; ALL OF THE
BANDSMEN WORE NAVY RATINGS,
IT WAS A NAVY
UNIFORMSj
ALL WERE DESIGNATED
BY NAVY
AND ALL WERE REQUIRED TO SIGN CONTRACTS AND OATHS
OF OFFICE. BANDMASTER SCHOFF RENEWED HIS CONTRACT
1887,
AT WHICH TIME HE RETIRED,
AND CHARLES A.
WHO HAD BEEN A MEMBER OF THE BAND SINCE SHIP•?
HIS
t882,
22, 1861,
AT NEWPORT,
HIS FATHER WAS A MEMBER OF THE BAND,
16, 1916.
ASSUMED
KNOWN TO THE MIDSHIPMEN,
BAND,
ISLAND,
QP.
WHERE
11
EXCEPTIONAL MUSICAL
ZIMMY",
AS HE WAS
ESTABLISHED HIS OWN REPUTATION WITH
THE BRIGADE BY COMPOSING THE FAMOUS "ANCHORS AWEIGH"• 7MICHALE MRLIK,
FROM
GAINED THE RESPECT AND
ADMIRATION OF ALL HIS MEN BECAUSE OF HIS AND
LEADER-
UNTIL HIS DEATH ON
ZIMMERMANN QUICKLY
ABILITIES AND WARM PERSONALITY.
RHODE
YEAR UNTIL
ZIMMERMANN,
LIFE WAS SPENT WITH THE NAVAL ACADEMY
HIS BIRTH ON JULY
JANUARY
EACH
£!!•,
P.
3•
21 AT THIS TIME THE BAND WAS
STILL COMPOSED OF TWENTY-
EIGHT MUSICIANS AND A DRUM MAJOR. GERMAN,
SWEDISH,
DICATED ON
ITALIAN,
OR
THEIR CONTRACTS.
MOST OF THESE MEN WERE
BOHEMIAN NATIONALS,
AS WAS
IN-
THE ORIGINAL BAND WAS COMPOSED
ALMOST ENTIRELY OF GERMANS WHOM PFEIEFER HAD PERSONALLY SELECTED TO COME TO ANNAPOLIS WITH HIM. THAT THE BANDSMEN HAD BEEN SO CHOSEN UNTIL THE TIME OF ZIMMERMANN IN MILITARY BANOS THE TASK OF STRICT MILITARY LENGING ONE,
BUT
AND
IT
IS
EVIDENT
BY THE VARIOUS LEADERS
BECAUSE THEY HAD HAD EXPERIENCE
IN EUROPE BEFORE COMING TO THIS COUNTRY. INTEGRATING A GROUP OF CIVILIANS
INTO THE
LIFE OF THE ACADEMY MUST HAVE BEEN A CHALIN
1903
CHARLES ZIMMERMANN WAS CONFRONTED
WITH AN EVEN MORE COMPLEX PROBLEMe
A BAND COMPOSED OF SIX-
TEEN ENLISTED MUSICIANS FROM NORFOLK,
VIRGINIA,
WAS BROUGHT
TO THE ACADEMY BY BANDMASTER PASQUEL DESANTIS AND WAS ORDERED TO COMBINE WITH THE REGULAR ACADEMY BAND, COMPLEMENT UP TO FORTY-FIVE.
BRINGING THE
THE NEW ADDITION PRODUCED A
SITUATION WHERE THERE WERE BOTH ENLISTED AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL PLAYING AS ONE BAND• UNTIL
1910
ONEe
THIS ACT ALSO
MEN,
THIS CONDITION
WHEN AN ACT OF CONGRESS MERGED THE TWO
THE POSITION OF ASSISTANT
ZIMMERMANN DIED ON JANUARY lNG AS BANDLEADER•
BANOS
1903 INTO
INCREASED THE ALLOWANCE TO FORTY-EIGHT
ALL HAVING MILITARY RATINGS.
CHANGE,
LASTED FROM
JN'CONJUNCTION WITH THIS LEADER WAS
16, 1916,
ALSO CREATED•
WHILE STILL SERV-
BECAUSE OF HIS DEVOTION TO THE AcADEMY HE
WAS GIVEN A FULL MILITARY FUNERAL WITH THE MIDSHIPMEN SERVING AS
PALLBEARERS.
ALL CLASSES WERE SUSPENDED SO THAT THE EN-
TIRE BRIGADE MIGHT ATTEND THE SERVICES.
22 SUCCEEDING ZIMMERMANN WAS ADOLPH TOROVSKY WHO HAD HIS ASSISTANT•
8
TOROVSKY WAS
BORN
IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA,
BEEN AND AT
AN EARLY AGE JOINED THE TWENTY-SIXTH HUNGARIAN REGIMENTAL BAND
IN VIENNA.
STRAUSS
1891
lie
DURING THIS
HIS ENLISTMENT
PERIOD HE STUDIED UNDER JOHANN IN THE HUNGARIAN
BAND
EXPIRED
IN
AND HE CAME TO THE UNITED STATES WHERE HE JOINED THE
AcADEMY
BAND AS A TRUMPET PLAYER.
BANDSMAN HE
BECAME THE
LEADER OF
ALONG WITH HIS DUTIES AS THE ST.
A POSITION WHICH GROOMED HIM FOR HIS ER OF THE ACADEMY
JOHN 1 S COLLEGE BAND,
FORTHCOMING JOB AS
LEAD-
BAND.
No PARTICULAR ACHIEVEMENTS ARE RECORDED WHILE TOROVSKY WAS
LEADER WITH THE
WAS FURTHER
EXCEPTION THAT THE COMPLEMENT OF THE
BAND
INCREASED TO SEVENTY-FIVE BY ANOTHER ACT OF CONG-
RESS DATED JULY
9, 1919•
BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE
THIS WAS THE FIFTH
INCREASED ENROLLMENT AT INCREASE,
INCREASE AND WAS THE ACADEMY.
CONTERMINOUS WITH THIS
PERSONNEL
PRIATION FOR MUSIC AND
INSTRUMENTS WAS FINALLY AUTHORIZED.
TOROVSKY RETIRED AT THE END OF BY
H• J.
PETERMAN,
AND WAS SUCCEEDED
A BANDMASTER FROM WASHINGTON,
DIRECTED THE BAND FOR ELEVEN YEARS. QUIET YEARS WITH
1921
THE FIRST APPRO-
NO RADICAL CHANGES
D.C.,
WHO
THESE EVIDENTLY WERE IN THE SIZE OR SCOPE OF
THE BAND• THE EARLIEST AVAILABLE PRINTED PROGRAM BAND
BY THE ACADEMY
IS A CONCERT PRESENTED BY PETERMAN ON MAY
16, 1931•
IS OBVIOUS THAT THE BAND WAS PLAYING MEDIOCRE MUSIC. THE BAND WAS NOT CAPABLE OF
PERFORMING BETTER MUSIC,
PERHAPS OR
HAPS PETERMAN 1 S ABILITIES AS A CONDUCTOR WERE LIMITED• SMICHALE MRLIK 1
Qp.
£!!• 1
P.
5•
IT
PER-
HOWEVER,
THIS PROGRAM GIVES SOME
QUALITY OF MUSIC IS
PERFORMED
LISTED EXACTLY AS MARCH OVERTURE WALTZ SELECTION BALLET MUSIC FROM THE SEASONS CHARACTERISTIC SoNG MELODIES MARCH
FROM
DURING THESE YEARS.
TO THE GoAL" JIR UY BLA S tt 11 U I OEA L [OHOES ~THE DESERT SONGn
BARNHOUSE MENDELSSOHN HERMAN ROMBERG
"4TH SCENE 1 AUTUMN 1 fl ~COTTON BLOSSOMSn AND 0 BY THE WATERS OF MINNETONKAtt "RoBIN Hooo" 11 BEAU IDEALfl
GLAZOUNOW
l l EURENOE DE KOVEN SousA
INCLUDED A VARIETY OF COMPOSERS AND
SOME COMPOSERS ARE OBVIOUSLY WELL KNOWN,
ALTHOUGH NOT AS WELL KNOWN AS
REGINALD DE KOVEN WAS A COMPOSER OF MANY ROBIN~
WAS HIS MOST SUCCESSFUL•
BARNHOUSE WAS AN AMERICAN COMPOSER, CORNETIST, COMPOSING WAS ONE OF HIS
BUT
WHILE OTHERS SUCH AS HERMAN AND
LIEURENCE ARE RATHER OBSCURE•
OF WHICH
THE PROGRAM
0 0N
NOT FOR BAND COMPOSITIONS,
SOME,
INTO THE TYPE AND
IT APPEARED:9
THE ABOVE PROGRAM COMPOSITIONS.
INSIGHT
LIGHT OPERAS AND CHARLES AND
PUBLISHER•
LESSER TALENTS AS HE ONLY HAS
ABOUT
EIGHTEEN MARCHES TO HIS CREDIT AND A FEW OTHER MINOR WORKS T~E
FOR BAND.
PROGRAM
ITSELF WAS MUSICALLY UNINTERESTING.
THE ORIGINAL BAND COMPOSITIONS WERE ONLY MEDIOCRE 1 EXCEPTION OF BEAU WERE VERY
IDEAL,
WHILE THE WORKS TRANSCRIBED FOR
BY WILLIAM
R.
SIMA,
1932, AND WAS SUOCEEDED
WHO HAD HELD THE POSITION OF ASSISTANT
UNDER TOROVSKY AND PETERMAN.
ALTHOUGH THE OFFICIAL
ALLOWANCE FOR THE BAND WAS SEVENTY-FIVE, 9u.
BAND
POOR TRANSCRIPTIONS.
PETERMAN RETIRED ON OCTOBER 2,
LEADER
WITH THE
S.
THE FOLLOW! NG LIST
NAVAL ACADEMY BAND PROGRAM DATED MAY
16,
1931 •
tO INDICATES THAT THEY WERE OVER ALLOWANCE BY FOUR MEN:
(MANY
NAVY BANDS TODAY CARRY MEN OVER AND ABOVE THE AUTHORIZED ALLOWANCE AND THIS EVIDENTLY WAS THE PRACTICE DURING THAT PERIOD•)
3
FLUTES 2 OBOES I Eb CLARINET 20 Bb CLARINETS ALTO CLARINET I SASS CLARINET 8 SAXOPHONES 2 BASSOONS 12 CORNETS AND TRUMPETS 8 FRENCH HORNS 2 BARITONES 1 EuPHONIUM 8 TROMBONES 6 BASSES PERCUSSION
4
AROUND
19)2 THE MA~ORITY OF NAVAL BANDS NUMBERED FROM
THIRTEEN TO SEVENTEEN PIECES• WAS VERY
THEREFORE,
LARGE AS COMPARED TO OTHER
BLE WAS WELL BALANCED
THE ACADEMY
UNITS.
BAND
THE ABOVE ENSEM-
IN EACH SECTION AND HAD THE CORRECT
INSTRUMENTATION TO PERFORM ANY TYPE OF MUSIC
IN BAND LITERA-
TURE• QURING SIMA 1 S TENURE,
AN
INVESTIGATION REVEALED A VERY
CORRUPT ADMINISTRATION,
RESULTING
CHARGE FROM THE NAVY
IN
1947•
STANCES,
BAND AND
THE ACADEMY
IN HIS DISHONORABLE DIS-
As A RESULT OF THESE CIRCUMITS MEMBERS SUFFERED A GREAT
LOSS OF PRESTIGE AND RESPECT• SIMA WAS SUCCEEDED BY ALEXANDER CECI~ MORRIS, ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE FIGURES I
IN NAVY MUSIOa
01JH LL I AM CARTER WHITE, QP. CIT., P. 215•
11
WHO WAS MORRIS WAS
I I KENNETH BERGER (Eo.), SAND~CYCLOPEDIA (EvANSVILLE, INDIANA: BAND ASSOCIATES, INc:-;-1960), P. 598.
25
RAISED NAVY
IN AN ORPHANAGE
IN
1907.
AFTER SERVING
IN CHARGE OF THE IN
IN NEW YORK CITY
IN FLEET BANDS,
HE WAS
PLACED
BAND ON THE PRESIDENTIAL YACHT MAYFLOWER•
1938 MORRIS CAME TO THE ACADEMY
HAVING PREVIOUSLY SERVED NAVY BAND
BEFORE JOINING THE
BAND AS ASSISTANT LEADER,
IN THAT CAPACITY WITH THE Ue
S•
IN WASHINGTON.
WHILE MORRIS WAS
LEADER HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR
lNG THE BAND ALLOWANCE TO EIGHTY MUSICIANS,
INCREAS-
BUT HIS MOST
IM-
PORTANT CONTRIBUTION WAS TO REVISE AND ENLARGE THE MUSIC LIBRARY.
THE BAND WAS STILL OPERATING "oN A SHOESTRING",
BUT HE WAS ABLE TO ALMOST DOUBLE THE BAND AND TRIPLE THE ORCHESTRAL LIBRARIES•
MORRIS WAS AN EXCELLENT VIOLINIST AND
THIS WAS THE REASON FOR ORCHESTRAL LIBRARY. INSTRUMENTS,
HIS
GREAT
INTEREST
IN
INCREASING THE
SOME OF THE BANDSMEN DOUBLED ON STRING
SO MORRIS WAS ABLE TO FORM A SMALL CHAMBER OR-
CHESTRA WHICH PRESENTED SHORT CULTURAL EVENTS 1
AS WELL AS
PROGRAMS BEFORE MANY OF THE
PLAYING FOR THE ANNUAL PRESENTA-
TION OF HANDEL 1 S MESSIAH AT THE ACADEMY CHAPEL• LY,
THIS ORCHESTRA'WAS
UNFORTUNATE-
GRADUALLY PHASED OUT AFTER HIS
RETIREMENT• UNDER MORRIS THE BAND DEVELOPED MORE MUSICALLY AND PERFORMED BETTER MUSIC THAN UNDER ANY OTHER THIS
LEADER BEFORE HIMe
IMPROVEMENT MAY BE SEEN FROM A PROGRAM
APRIL 23,
1950:
12
128ANO PROGRAM DATED APRIL 23,
1950.
PRESENTED ON
26 OVERTURE 0 RIENZin CORNET SOLO "HUNGARIAN MELODIES" "RHAPSODY FOR BANDn 0 CHORAL PROCESSION FROM THE SoNG oF MAN" . FANTASIA UTHE MIDSHIPMEN" (CONDUCTED BY THE COMPOSER) SYMPHONIC PoEM "VLTAVA" 0 ACCORDION SOLO 0 TIGHT SQUEEZE 1 tiN I GHT AND. 0AYJ . 0 BALLET MUSIC° FROM PRINCE IGOR MARCH "THE NAVY FOREVER"
R· WAGNER
V • BACH RIMSKY-KORSAKOV PURCELL-KOUNTZ p. BUYS B.
SMETANA OEMEY C. PORTER . A. 80ROD iN MAURICE
M·
A GLANCE AT THE ABOVE PROGRAM SHOWS THAT
IN ADDITION TO
INCLUDING BAND TRANSCRIPTIONS OF WORKS BY 'WAGNER, KORSAKOV,
SMETANA,
80ROOIN 1
RIMSKY-
AND PORTERi MORRIS ALSO PRO-
GRAMMED WORKS THAT WERE WRITTEN ESPECIALLY FOR BAND,
AND
MANY OF THEM BY AMERICAN COMPOSERS. VINCENT BACH BUT PERHAPS HE
IS KNOWN AS A CORNET AND TRUMPET VIRTUOSO,
IS BETTER KNOWN
INSTRUMENTS AND MOUTHPIECES.
AS A MANUFACTURER OF BRASS IN THE FIELD OF COMPOSITION HE
HAS WRITTEN A FEW TRUMPET AND CORNET SOLOS OF WHICH "HUNGARIAN MELODIES"
IS AN EXCELLENT SOLO OF
ITS TYPE.
THE FULL
LYRICAL AND TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES OF THE CORNET ARE DISPLAYED AND
IT REQUIRES AN OUTSTANDING BRASS MUSICIAN TO PER-
FORM CORRECTLY• PERHAPS THE MOST
INTERESTING WORK ON THIS PROGRAM WAS
RICHARD KOUNTZ 1 S "SoNG OF MANn WITH TEXT BY GILBERT PURCELL• ALTHOUGH ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS,
THIS
WAS A VERY FINE SYMPHONIC BAND TRANSCRIPTION BV F. CAMPBELL WATSON.
AND TO SING THE TEXT OF THIS WORK~
A GLEE CLUB WAS
FORMED FROM MEMBERS OF THE BANGe EQUALLY AS
INTERESTING,
AT
LEAST FOR THE MIDSHIPMEN~
WAS
27 THE COMPOSITION BY PETER BuYS. LISHED MANY WORKS,
HE HAD COMPOSED AND PUB-
~I.TH OVER TWO THOUSAND TRANSCRIPTIONS AND
ARRANGEMENTS TO HIS CREDIT.
AT THE TIME OF THIS PROGRAM HE
WAS THE MUNICIPAL DIRECTOR OF MUSIC THIS
PARTICULAR FANTASIA WAS
IN HAGERSTOWN,
MARYLAND•
BASED ON SONGS AND NAUTICAL AIRS
WHICH WERE FREQUENTLY HEARD AND SUNG
IN THE DAILY ROUTINE AT
THE ACADEMY• MORRIS WAS ALWAYS ANXIOUS TO PRESENT THE VARIOUS TALENTS Of' THE BAND MEMBERS THEMSELVES. BY MARTIN 0EMEY~
JITIGHT SQUEEZE 11 WAS WRITTEN
THE SOLO CLARINETIST WITH THE NAVAL ACADEMY
BAND AT THAT TIME•
IN ADDITION TO PLAYING THE CLAR1NET,
0EMEY HAD ARRANGED AND COMPOSED MANY WORKS AND
INCLUDING MARCHES
INSTRUMENTAL SOLOS. THIS
PROGRAM CLOSED WITH MAURICE 1 S nNAVY FOREVER" MARCH.
MAURICE WAS A WARRANT OFFICER
IN THE NAVY,
HAD WRITTEN ONLY A FEW WORKS,
ALL
VERY MUCH POPULAR AT
AND ALTHOUGH HE
UNPUBLISHED~
IN THE STYLE Of' A SOUSA MARCH
AND HAS
THIS MARCH
IS
REMAINED
BAND CONCERTS AT THE NAVAL AcADEMY.
MORRIS 1 COLORFUL CAREER CAME TO A CLOSE
IN
t955
WHEN HE
REVIEWED A DRESS PARADE BY THE MIDSHIPMEN HONORING HIS FORTYSEVEN YEARS OF CONTINUOUS NAVAL SERVICE.
ALEXANDER MORRIS
WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED BY THE NAVY FOR HIS UNFAILING OF MUSIC AND HIS IN AUGUST OF AN
INSPECTION OF
LOVE
BOUNDLESS ENTHUSIASM FOR THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
1954,
AT THE REQUEST OF THE SuPERINTENDENT,
THE BAND WAS CONDUCTED
BY A BOARD OF OFFI-
CERS SELECTED BY THE CHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL.
THIS BOARD 1 S
REPORT COVERED EVERY FACET OF THE BAND 1 S OPERATION, RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE TO
INCREASE THE SIZE#
AND
PROVIDE NEW
28 QUARTERS,
AND PURCHASE NEW
1955
MARCH OF
INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT•
NEARLY ALL OF THE
WERE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER JORITY OF THESE
INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT
$35,000.
HOWEVER,
NEW «uNIT'' BANDS WHICH WERE
TO BE ASSIGNED TO SHIPS BEING PUT BACK
INTO COMMISSION.
INVOLVED PURCHASING A COMPLETE SET OF
EQUIPMENT FOR HOWEVER,
EACH PROSPECTIVE BAND•
WERE ACTUALLY ORGANIZED,
PLUS STOCK OF NEW IN MAY OF WELL AS AN THIS
THE KOREAN CON-
MANY RESERVE MUSICIANS WERE RECALLED TO ACTIVE OUTYe
PLANS WERE MADE TO ORGANIZE MANY
THIS
THE MA-
INSTRUMENTS CAME FROM SURPLUS STOCKS.
IN ANTICIPATION OF A LARGE EXPANSION OF FLICT,
IN
INSTRUMENTS AND
ONLY A FEW SUCH
RESULTING
1955
THE BAND WAS
PROVIDED NEW QUARTERS AS
IN ALLOWANCE TO
EIGHTY-FIVE MUSICIANS•
IS STILL THE PRESENT ALLOWANCE AND THE
I 3
2 I
9 I
tt I
2
1
IN A LARGE SUR-
INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT•
INCREASE
IS AS FOLLOWS:
BANOS
INSTRUMENTATION
3
LEADING CHIEF DRUM MAJOR HEAD OF OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SUPPLY ASSISTANT HEAD LJ BRAR I AN FLUTES OBOES Eb CLARINET Bb CLARINETS ALTO CLARINET BASS CLARINET ALTO SAXOPHONES TENOR SAXOPHONES BARITONE SAXOPHONE BASSOONS
12 CORNETS
5
FRENCH HORNS
2 BARITONE HORNS
6
TROMBONES BASS TROMBONE 6 TUBAS 8 PERCUSSION 2 VIOLINS VIOLA CELLO I ST· BASS 3 PIANOS GUITAR ACCORDION ORGAN I
13QRGANIZATION BOOK OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY BAN Do
29 UNTIL DECEMBER OF
1965
THE BAND WAS UNDER THE DIRECTION
OF MAX EDWARD CORRICK WHO HAD ASSUMED THIS POSITION IN
1955• 14
HE ENLISTED
IN THE NAVY
AND WAS APPOINTED WARRANT OFFICER FOR A BRIEF TIME AS ASSISTANT UNDER HIS
IN IN
1939
AS A CORNET PLAYER
1951.
HE ALSO SERVED
LEADER UNDER LCDR. MORRIS.
LEADERSHIP THE BAND PERFORMED AS VARIED A PROGRAM
AS MOST MILITARY
BANOS
IN THE COUNTRY•
CORRICK'S ABILITIES AS A BANDMASTER ARE FROM A REVIEW WHICH APPEARED AFTER HIS FIRST CONCERT•
IN EVIDENCE
IN THE ANNAPOLIS EVENING CAPITAL
THE CRITIC WAS DoNALD C.
GILLEY,
CIVILIAN DIRECTOR OF MuSICAL ACTIVITIES AT THE ACADEMY: THE NAVAL ACADEMY BAND, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF LT• M.E. CORRICK GAVE A CONCERT IN DAHLGREN HALL AT THE ACADEMY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THE PROGRAM FOLLOWS: THE TSAR'S BRIDE OVERTURE, RIMSKY-KORSAKOVj CUBAN FANTASY, KEPNER; PIECE CONCERTANTE, ROUSSEAU, TROMBONE SOLOIST, THOMAS CHRISTIE; LA LISON~ERA, CHAMINADEj THE FoRTYNINERS, MCKAY; PsYCHE AND ERos, FRANcK; CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS, SAINT-SAENS; NAPOLI, 8ELLSTEDT, CORNET SoLOIST, DoNALD TISON; FANDANGo, PERKINS AND CHORALE AND ~LLELUIA, HANSON. THIS CONCERT WAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST, FOR IT WAS THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE BAND UNDER ITS NEW LEADER, LTo CORRICK. THE BAND AND ITS DIRECTOR ARE TO BE CONGRATULATED, FOR AN EXCELLENT CONCERT WAS GIVEN TO THE GOOD SIZED AUDIENCE THAT ATTENDED• THE NUMBERS CHOSEN VARIED WIDELY FROM ESTABLISHED CLASSICS TO THE STIRRING MODERN NUMBER OF HOWARD HANSON THAT MADE A BRILLIANT CLIMAX AT THE OLOSE OF THE PROGRAM. THE TWO SOLOISTS, THOMAS CHRISTIE PLAYING THE TROMBONE, AND DONALD TISON PLAYING THE CORNET WERE OUTSTANDING, AND EITHER OF THESE MUSICIANS WOULD DO CREDIT TO ANY MUSICAL ORGANIZATION. 80TH WERE GIVEN AN OVATION BY THE AUDIENCE. THE BAND AS A MEDIUM OF MUSICAL EXPRESSION IS GROWING, AND CORRICK 1 S FIRST CONCERT SHOWED THE RESULTS OF HARD WORK AND GOOD MUSICIANSHIP ON HIS PART AND ON THE PART OF THE SANDo THE INTONATION IN GENERAL WAS GOOD. THERE WAS SOME TENDENCY TOWARD 14f(ENNETH BERGER
(Eo.),
0Po
.£.!...!•,
P.
598.
...
·:!151
::
\
·::u
::· J
'~t~
'
.....A
CARELESS TUNING IN THE REED SECTION, WHICH THE MUSICIANS CAN CORRECT IN THE FUTURE• THE HIGH STANDARD GENERALLY ACHIEVED BY THIS BAND IS ALL THE MORE REMARKABLE WHEN WE REALIZE THAT PLAYING CONCERTS IS JUST ONE PHASE OF THEIR ACTIVITI~S. SINCE THIS BAND WILL PLAY AGAIN ON MAY 15TH IN DAHLGREN HALL AT 3:00 p. M• IT IS URGED THAT ANNAPOLITANS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND ATTEND THE PROGRAM.
LCDR· CORRICK WAS
INSTRUMENTAL
IN ESTABLISHING A REGU-
LAR WINTER SERIES OF BAND CONCERTS AT THE ACADEMY•
THESE
HAVE BEEN MOST POPULAR WITH THE BRIGADE OF MIDSHIPMEN AND HAVE PROVED THAT THE BAND
IS
EQUALLY AT HOME
IN THE CONCERT
HALL AS ON THE PARADE FIELD• THE BAND
IS NO
LONGER PERFORMING SUCH MUSIC AS
WATERS OF MlNNETONKAu OR MELODIES FROM ROBIN~, ER
IS PERFORMING GOOD CONCERT BAND MUSIC,
AS
A PROGRAM PRESENTED AT THE ACADEMY ON JANUARY
5"
PROGRAM
IS EVIDENT BY 16,
1 1965. 5
IS VERY ACCEPTABLE FOR A BAND CONCERT,
BAND TRANSCRIPTIONS.
MORE INTERESTING TO BAND•
BUT RATH-
SHOSTAKOVICH CAVALLINI Ll SZT DEBUSSY SAINT-SAENS ENESCO
ALL OF THE COMPOSITIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR PHONIC
PERHAPS
8Y THE
VoN SuPPE
11
"PIQUE 0AME "SYMPHONY NO• (SCHERZO AND - FINALE) , uADAGIO-TARANTELLAn 11 nlES PRE LUDES °FETES FROM 'THREE NOCTURNEStn "CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS" ~ROUMANIAN RHAPSODY No. In
THIS
0
ALTHOUGH
PROGRAM WERE SYM-
IT WOULD
BE MUSICALLY
INCLUDE WORKS WRITTEN ESPECIALLY FOR
NUMEROUS COMPOSERS SUCH AS ROBERT RUSSELL BENNETT,
CLIFTON WILLIAMS,
VINCENT PERSICHETTI,
HOWARD CABLE,
OR
H•
OWEN REED HAVE WRITTEN EXCELLENT COMPOSITIONS WHICH MUSICALLY I 5BAND PROGRAM DATED JANUARY
t6, 1965 ..
PRESENT THE TRUE BAND THE PRESENT
LEADER
ED TO THIS POSITION IN THE NAVY MUSIC OF
EXPERIENCE
IOIOMe IS PRESTON
IN FEBRUARY OF
PROGRAM SINCE
H•
TURNER WHO WAS APPOINT-
t9bb.
1939
TuRNER HAS SERVED
AND HAS HAD A VAST AMOUNr
IN ALL AREAS OF THE NAVY BAND PROGRAM.
DITION TO DIRECTING NUMEROUS FLEET
BANDS,
HE HAS SERVED AS THE
ASSISTANT LEADER OF THE ACADEMY BAND UNDER CORRICK, AS ASSISTANT LEADER OF THE NAVY BAND
FIRST,
AND MOST
IMPORTANT,
IS TO
SUPPORT OF THE BRIGADE OF MIDSHIPMEN; MUSIC
IS SIX-
PROVIDE MUSIC
SECOND,
IN
TO PROVIDE
IN CONNECTION WITH ALL OFFICIAL VISITS AND MILITARY
CEREMONIES; THIRD, PLAY FOR TO
AS WELL
IN WASHINGTON.
THE MISSION OF THE PRESENT NAVAL ACADEMY BAND FOLD•
IN AD-
TO PRESENT FREQUENT CONCERTS;
FOURTH,
THE VARIOUS SOCIAL FUNCTIONS AT THE ACADEMY;
TO
FIFTH,
PROVIDE MUSIC FOR SOCIAL AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS OF THE
SEVERN RIVER NAVAL COMMAND,
AND SIXTH,
PRIATE MUSIC AT OTHER OCCASIONS, SUMMARY THIS WOULD INSPECTIONS, DANOES,
TO PROVIDE ANY APPRO-
WHEN SO DIRECTED•
INVOLVE PLAYING FOR PARADES,
OFFICIAL VISITS,
ATHLETIC
FUNERALS,
EVENTS, MIDSHIPMEN
SOCIAL EVENTS AT THE 0FFICER 1 S CLUB OR SUPERINTEND-
ENT'S QUARTERS,
AND CONCERTS.
THE NAVAL ACADEMY BAND OF TODAY
IS A VIVID CONTRAST TO
THE ORIGINAL JOHN PFEIFFER BAND OF THIRTEEN MEN• TRAST
IN
IS AS NOTICEABLE WITH THE BAND AS
IT
ACADEMY AND THE ACADEMY OF A CENTURY AGO. THE BAND HAS PLAYED AN MIDSHIPMEN,
BOTH
INTEGRAL PART
NoT ONLY
IS WITH TODAY FROM
ITS
1
S
INCEPTION~
IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE
IN MILITARY TRAINING AND
CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES•
THE CON-
IN
EXTRA-
IS THE BAND ONE OF THE
OLDEST NAVY
INSTITUTIONS AT THE ACADEMY,
BAND
BUT
IT
IN POINT OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE•
IS THE OLDEST
Ill
CHAPTER
THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND
THE FIRST BAND AT THE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD TON, D.C. ClANS• BUT
l
WAS A GROUP COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF UNFORTUNATELY,
IN WASHING-
CIV~LIAN
MUSI-
THERE ARE NO RECORDS OF THIS BAND
IT WAS POSSIBLY A CIVIL SERVICE UNIT SIMILAR TO THE CIVIL
SERVICE BAND THAT PERFORMED AT THE NAVAL AcADEMY AFTER THE CIVIL WAR UNTIL THE EARLY PART OF THE 20TH OENTURYe IN
1916
AN EIGHTEEN-PIECE BAND STATIONED ABOARD THE
U• S. S.
KANSAS,
UNDER BANDMASTER TOTINO
TIFIED),
WAS ORDERED TO THE RECEIVING STATION, WASHINGTON
NAVY YARD, WASHINGTON,
D.C.
(NOT OTHERWISE
IDEN-
THIS BAND WAS THE MILITARY FORE-
RUNNER OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND.
VERY SHORTLY THE SER-
VICES OF THIS SMALL BAND WERE VERY MUCH
IN DEMAND FOR THE
VARIOUS MILITARY AND STATE OCCASIONS THAT
ARE A PART OF OFFI-
CIAL WASHINGTON. IN
1919 BANDMASTER TOTINO WAS ORDERED BACK TO SEA AFTER
COMPLETING A NORMAL TOUR OF DUTY ASHORE,
AND THE LEADERSHIP
OF THE NAVY YARD BAND WENT TO BANDMASTER CHARLES 8ENTER.
2
BENTER HAD ENLISTED AT AN EARLY AGE AND HAD BEEN PROMOTED STEADILY UNTIL AT THE AGE OF TWENTY HE ATTAINED THE POSITION OF BANDMASTER ABOARD THE BATTLESHIP RHODE
ISLAND.
ALSO SERVED
!•
IN THAT CAPACITY ABOARD THE U•
HE HAD
S. CONNECTICUT
IKENNETH BERGER (Eo.), BAND ENCYCLOPEDIA (EVANSVILLE, !NDtANA: BAND ASSOCIATES, INc-:;-1960), P. 595• 2WILLIAM CARTER WHITE, A HISTORY OF MILITARY MUSIC IN AMERICA (NEW YORK: THE EXPOStTION PREss, 194ij), P. 223. --
33
34 PRIOR TO HIS ASSIGNMENT TO THE NAVY YARD SANDe BENTER WAS
CAREFU~~y
SE~EOTED
FOR THIS
POST BECAUSE AT
THAT TIME THE UNITED STATES MARINE CoRPS AND THE UNITED STATES ARMY HAD THEIR OFFICIAL BANDS,
AND THE NAVAL AUTHOR-
IT1ES WERE REALIZING THE NECESSITY OF AN
OFFIOIA~
NAVY BAND•
IT WAS A WISE CHOICE ON THE PART OF THE NAVY BECAUSE BENTER IMMEOIATE~Y
FOCUSED THE ATTENTION OF CONGRESS ON THE NEED
FOR A BAND THAT WOULD BE THE MUSICAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY• BAND,
THE CREATION OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY
BY AN AcT OF CoNGRESS,
IS A TESTIMONIAL TO THE EFFORTS
OF THIS MAN• A~THOUGH
PIECES,
THE ORIGINAL NAVY YARD BAND WAS ONLY EIGHTEEN
IT WAS CONSIDERED LARGE WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER MUSI-
CAL UNITS OF THE NAVY AT THAT TIME. DEMANDS FOR
ITS SERVICES,
THE BAND BY
BECAUSE OF THE
1923
INCREASED
HAD GROWN TO
SIXTY-THREE MUSICIANS WHO UNDOUBTEDLY WON THE ACCLAIM OF THE GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITIES AND BAND AUDIENCES ~ISTENERS
ADDITIONAL MEDIUM OF RADIO. STATION
1920.
WERE RECEIVED THROUGH THE THEN NEW
THE FIRST BROADCAST WAS FROM THE NAVAL AIR
IN WASHINGTON VIA AN IN
1921
IN WASHINGTON.
EXPERIMENTA~
CRYSTAL RADIO
THEY BEGAN A REGULAR WEEKLY BROADCAST OVER THE
FACILITIES OF THE ARLINGTON RADIO STATION NAA. AND TON.
1924
IN
THE BAND HAD A REGULAR SERIES OVER WAOC
AND
IN
1923
IN WASHING-
THUS, THE NAVY BAND NOT ONLY WAS THE FIRST SERVICE BAND
TO BROADCAST,
BUT ALSO HAS
BEEN ON THE AIR SINCE THE
INCEP-
TION OF RADIO. ON THE SAME DAY, MARCH
4,
1925,
AFTER TAKING THE OATH OF
35 OFFICE AS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, CALVIN COOLIDGE
SIGNED THE SPECIAL ACT OF CONGRESS MAKING THE SIXTY-THREE PIECE BAND STATIONED AT THE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD THE OFFICIAL MUSICAL REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE UNITED STATES NAVY.3
THE
BAND'S NAME WAS ALSO CHANGED FROM THE NAVY YARD BAND TO THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND• IN THE FALL OF
&925 1
THE BAND
LEFT WASHINGTON ON THE
FIRST CONCERT TOUR WHICH WAS AUTHORIZED PROVED BY THE PRESIDENT•4
BY CONGRESS AND AP-
THIS TOUR TOOK THEM THROUGH THE
SOUTHERN STATES AND WAS PRIMARILY FOR PUBLIC MANY AMERICANS,
IT WAS THEIR FIRST
THE NAVY BAND•
THESE EARLY TOURS WERE UNDER
OF WILLIAM RADCLIFFE, CONCERT CIRCUIT•
THIS AGENCY WAS NOT 1
1925
1
ISLANDS·
PATTERNED AFTER THE
BORROWED THE NAME.
PANAMA, CUBA,
GERMANY,
JAMAICA,
SOUTH AMER-
HAITI,
AND THE
DuRING THE DEPRESSION YEARS THE TOURS WERE
DISCONTINUED BUT RESUMED WAYNE BORTON,
AFFILIATED
THE BAND HAS MADE NUMEROUS TOURS TRAVELING TO
PUERTO RIC0 1
VIRGIN
LECTURE-
BUT WAS RATHER ONE OF THE SEV-
FORTY-NINE STATES AS WELL AS CANADA, IOA
THE MANAGEMENT
HOWEVER,
ERAL HUNDRED LOCAL ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE ORIGINAL INSTITUTION AND
FOR
EXPOSURE TO THE NAVY AND
PRESIDENT OF THE CHAUTAUQUA
WITH THE ORIGINAL CHAUTAUQUA,
SINCE
RELATIONS•
IN
1936 UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF
WHO DIRECTED THE TOUR ACTIVITIES UNTIL
AGAIN DURING WORLD WAR
1940•
I I THE BAND REMAINED ON THE WASHINGTON
SCENE FILLING NUMEROUS ENGAGEMENTS•
IN
1946
THE CONCERT
TOURS RESUMED AND AT PRESENT ARE UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF f!GIB 3WtLLIAM CARTER WHITE,
-
41BID•,
P.
224.
QP •
.£..!..!.•,
P.
224.
11
SANDEFUR•
IN THE BEGINNING THE TOURS WERE CONDUCTED FOR
EIGHT WEEK PERIOD, WEEKS.
BUT THEY
AND EACH DAY,
AN
NOW LAST FROM SEVEN TO NINE
WHILE ON TOUR,
THE BAND PRESENTS TWO
OR THREE CONCERTS. ALL OF AMERICA WAS BECOMING AWARE THAT THERE WAS AN OFFICIAL NAVY BAND THROUGH THE TOURS,
AND RADIO
A TYPICAL TRIBUTE, ALTHOUGH A LITTLE TOO EN-
BROADCASTS• THUSIASTIC,
CONCERTS,
APPEARED
IN THE BOSTON POST ON MARCH
13, t929:5
WE HAVEN 1 T THE REMOTEST IDEA WH~T KIND OF SAILORS ARE IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND, BUT IF THEIR NAUTICAL PROWESS IS ANYTHING LIKE THEIR MUSICAL ABILITY AS WE HEARD IT LAST NIGHT FROM WASHINGTON, THIS NAVY OF OURS IS SOME NAVY. SOME FOLKS HAVE AN IDEA PERHAPS THAT NAVY MUSIC IS MADE UP OF A FEW CHANTY CHORUSES, A SONG ABOUT A GIRL IN EVERY PORT, A JIG, AND THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER. TO THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CITIZEN THE PERFORMANCE LAST NIGHT MUST HAVE BEEN A TRULY STARTLING EYE OPENER• THEY PERFORMED SVENDSEN 1 S 11 CARNIVAL IN PARIS 11 AND MUSIC OF KINDRED CALIBRE LIKE A COMPANY OF FIRST-RANK VIRTUOSI. WE OON 1 T KNOW HOW SECRETARY ADAMS FEELS ABOUT HIS BATTLESHIPS, BUT HE WILL NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE MUSICAL TALENT OF THE NAVY BAND• THAT 1 S DEMONSTRATED. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, THE PERFORMANCE LAST NIGHT WAS THE SURPRISE OF OUR LIFEe IT OAME OVER THE COLUMBIA CHAIN• IT OPENED UP ALL SORTS OF SPECULATIONS. EVEN AFTER ONE DISCOUNTED CERTAIN DETAILS UPON APPLYING THE HIGHEST CRITICAL STANDARDS IT STILL LEFT THE LISTENER WONDERING. THESE MEN MAY HAVE TO COAL SHIPS AND SWAB DECKS, BUT THERE ARE POETS AMONG THEM. WE VENTURE THE GUESS THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS IN THAT GROUP WHO CAN, AS EASILY AS SALUTING AN ADMIRAL, COMMAND REAL SALARIES AS MUSICIANS IN THE BETTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS OF THE LAND.
IN
1937,
AT THE REQUEST OF THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT,
NAVY BAND ~OURNEYED TO TORONTO TO P~AY AT THE CANADIAN 5WILLIAM CARTER WHITE,
OP.
£l!•,
P.
225.
THE
37 NATIONAL EXHIBITION. VICE BAND HAD BEEN
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME A FOREIGN SER-
INVITED TO PERFORM AND
HONOR FOR THE NAVY BAND, LAND,
IT WAS A DISTINCT
CONSIDERING THAT CANADA,
MAINTAINS SOME OF THE FINEST MILITARY BANDS
LIKE [NGIN THE
WORLD •
As
A SAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF MUSIC THE BAND PERFORMED,
LISTED BELOW IS A PROGRAM THAT WAS GIVEN AT THIS EXHIBITION ON AUGUST
28, 1937,
WITH BENTER CONDUCTING:
"VIMY RIDGE" "MEMORIES OF STEPHEN FOSTER" "A SOLOIER 1 S 0REAMH "CANADIAN PATROLU "WAR SONGS OF THE BOYS IN BLUE" ~COLONEL BOGEY ON PARADE" "SUITE OF WORLD WAR SONGSU I• IT 1 S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY 2. DEAR OLD PAL OF MINE 3• OVER THERE 4• PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES "IRISH PATROL" "SuiTE OF MILITARY MARCHES" 1. UNDER THE BRITISH.FLAG 2. THE CANADIAN PATRIOTS 3• THE Kl LTI ES "WORLD WAR MEDLEY" ALTHOUGH THIS PROGRAM DID NOT MUSIC,
6
BIDGOOD ARR• BY CAILLIET ROGERS CLARKE BENDIX ALFORD
WILLIAMS
l T • G IT Z -R I c E COHAN POWELL DRUMMER SLATTERY HUGHES MORRIS ARR. BY BENTER
INCLUDE SERIOUS CONCERT
IT WAS THE TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT WOULD PRODUCE THE
HsouNDU THAT
IS PECULIAR ONLY TO BANOS,
AND THIS
WOULD HAVE GREAT APPEAL TO THE AVERAGE LISTENER• HOWEVER,
THE LIST OF COMPOSITIONS AND COMPOSERS
ESTING•
NOTHING
SLATTERY,
IS RECORDED ABOUT BIDGOOD,
HUGHES, OR MORRIS,
WERE MINOR COMPOSERS.
AND
IN TURN MUSICALLY, IS UNINTER-
CLARKE,
BENDIX,
IT MUST BE ASSUMED THAT THEY
OF THE OTHERS,
PERHAPS CAILLIET AND
ALFORD ARE AT LEAST KNOWN FOR THEIR BAND COMPOSITIONS AND
6u.
S.
NAVY BAND PROGRAM DATED AUGUST
28, 1937•
ARRANGEMENTS.
EVEN THE SELECTIONS
0
IN THE
SUITE OF WORLD
WAR SONGS 0 WERE BY OBSCURE COMPOSERS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COHAN. BUT DESPITE THE
POOR QUALITY OF MUSIC,
THE REACTION OF
THE CANADIANS TOWARD THE BAND MAY.BE SEEN FROM A FEW EXTRACTS 1 FROM A TORONTO NEWSPAPER AS CITED IN WILLIAM CARTER WHITE S BOOK, A HISTORY OF MILITARY MUSIC
IN AMERICA:?
THERE WERE THRILLS EVERYWHERE BUT THE GREATEST THRILL WAS THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND. WHAT A JOY TO HEAR NOBLE MUSIC SO NOBLY PLAYED• THE EFFECT UPON THE ENSEMBLE OF THE RICH REED CONTENT IS TO GIVE THE MUSIC BUOYANCE THAT BAND MUSIC SELDOM HAS. ORCHESTRAL EFFECTS ARE BETTER THAN THOSE OF AN ORCHESTRA. EMOTION TAKES A SEA TRIP ON A BATTLESHIP WHEN THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND PAINTS ITe OBVIOUSLY, THEREFORE, THIS EXTRAORDINARY UNITED STATES NAVY BAND IS SOMETHING TO HEAR AND REVEL IN, FOR WE HAVE NOT HEARD ITS LIKE BEFORE AND SHALL NOT SOON MATCH ITe UNDER BENTER 1 S LEADERSHIP THIS ORGANIZATION FROM EIGHTEEN MUSICIANS TO EIGHTY-SIX. REQUESTS FOR THE NAVY BAND MUST HAVE PROBABLY THE MAIN REASON FOR ON JANUARY 1,
t942,
IS
WHEN BENTER RETIRED
INSTRUMENTATION WAS AS FOLLOWS:
7WILLIAM CARTER WHITE, P.
INCREASED AND THIS
8 THE
2
FLUTES 2 PICCOLOS 2 Eb CLARINETS 2 OBOES I ENGLISH HORN 22 Bb CLARINETS 2 BASS CLARINETS 3 BASSOONS 3 ALTO SAXOPHONES 2 TENOR SAXOPHONES
-
THROUGH THE YEARS THE
ITS GROWTH.
2
8 I 8 I o.,
INCREASED
230.
BARITONE SAXOPHONES
12 B'o CORNETS 2 Bb TRUMPETS
8
FRENCH HORNS TROMBONES BARITONES o BASSES STRING BASS I HARP PERCUSSION
6
f
4 Q.l:•
c·ITu
P.
227.
39 IT MAY BE SEEN THAT THE SIZE 1 TIONAL BALANCE OF THIS HAD BEEN VERY CAREFUL BAND WAS THE
ENLARGED
SEA
DID
1938
IN
1942
BAND FROM
THE~· S. ~·
FLORIDA
IN
1913.9
BECAUSE OF
HIS
ITSELF•
FOUR
IN THE NAVY BAND
IN
HIS ABILITIES WERE FURTHER RECOGNIZED WHEN HE LEADER.
AND
IN
1942,
HE WAS
PRO-
LEADER• POSITION OF
IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE HISTORY AND GROWTH OF.THE SAND IN TRIBUTE TO HIS EXCELLENT
ABILITIES,
HE WAS AWARDED,
IN
1943,
LEADERSHIP AND MUSICAL AN HONORARY DOCTOR OF MU-
SIC DEGREE FROM THE WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF MUSIC• TO OTHER AWARDS AND HONORS, HONORARY MEMBERSHIP FOR
WAS
ABILITY AS A CLARINET-
THE STORY OF CHARLES 8RENDLER 1 S RISE TO THE LEADER
1962
TO
NOT DISCOURAGE HIM AND HE DECIDED TO MAKE
WAS ADVANCED TO ASSISTANT MOTED TO
BENTER
PROPORTIONS.
HE WAS ACCEPTED FOR MEMBERSHIP
1917.
EXCELLENT.
SEC-
OF CHARLES 8RENDLER WHOSE CAREER WITH THE NAVY
THE NAVY HIS CAREER• IST1
AND
IN MAINTAINING A GOOD BALANCE AND THE
IN PROPER
BEGAN WHEN HE BOARDED YEARS AT
ORGANIZATION WERE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE NAVY
IN THE HANDS
INSTRUMENTATION,
IN ADDITION
HE RECEIVED THE ONE AND ONLY
IN THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT'S CLUBe
HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO HIS FIELD 1
HE WAS ALSO
ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN BANDMASTER 1 S ASSOCIATION
1954•
AND HE WAS THE FIRST
AND
IN
ONLY PERSON TO ATTAIN THE RANK
OF COMMANDER AS A NAVY MUSICIAN. COMMANDER 8RENDLER CONTINUALLY SOUGHT TO CALIBRE OF MUSIC
USED BY THE BAND.
TIONAL MARCHES AND
POPULAR MUSIC
9KENNETH BERGER
(Eo.),~·
IMPROVE THE
WHILE HE KEPT THE TRADI-
IN THE
£!1• 1
P.
REPERTOIRE,
62
HE ALSO
40 PROGRAMMED CONCERT MUSIC THAT HAD BEEN TRANSCRIBED FOR BAND. ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THE MUSIC SELECTED BY BRENDLER DOES NOT REPRESENT THE
FINEST
IN
BAND MUSIC,
IT
THAT WOULD HAVE MASS AUDIENCE APPEAL, ALWAYS BEEN A CONSIDERATION
IS THE TYPE OF MUSIC AND THIS FACTOR HAS
IN PROGRAMMING NAVY BAND .CON-
CERTS. LISTED BELOW
U.
IS A CONCERT WHICH WAS
S. MARINE CORPS AUDITORIUM ON JANUARY
BRENDLER CONDUCTING:
1,
6, 1942,
IN THE WITH
10
VON WEBER
"OBERON OVERTURE" "TILL EuLENSPIEGEL 1 S MERRY . PRANKStl 11 "PIANO CONCERTO No. 1 "CAPRICCIO ESPAGNOL" "SECOND HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY 11
QN MARCH
PRESENTED
1962,
STRAUSS TSCHAIKOVSI
