Band directors -- United States; Bands (Music) -- United States
Dr. Damrosch immediately crossed the Atlantic to prescribe for the
U.S.A. Bands. He visited the various army bands in the Chaumont area.
He interviewed and examined every bandleader. Then he gave his report
to General Pershing. “Give the bands many, many more musicians and have
them all trained under competent bandmasters.”
This was made a rush order. Players were selected from the army ranks
to form bands of from sixty to eighty men. Capable, experienced leaders
were installed in camps to train numerous bandleaders in France and in
similar camps in the United States, to make sure that additional bands
would be prepared for service. From that time on the United States
forces marched to the accompaniment of live, powerful music played by
capable bands. And the General of the A.E.F. was proud of his Army
Bands.
At the end of the War, General Pershing returned to Washington, D. C.
as the U. S. Army’s Chief of Staff. One of the first things he did was
to order the organization of a great United States Army Band for use in
peace and war.
His command was at once carried out and a new band was built around the
small group of honored bandsmen who had played in “General Pershing’s
Own” overseas.
Under the leadership of Warrant Officer Francis Leigh the band entered
training October 21, 1921, at the Army War College in Washington, D.
C. Soon the formerly neglected Army Band was brought into its rightful
place in the realm of music. The first public appearance of the U.S.A.
Band was on November 21, 1921, when it led the funeral procession of
the Unknown Soldier to the tomb in Arlington Cemetery.
Captain William J. Stannard who led the Army Band from 1923 to 1935,
greatly increased the activities of the organization. A concert group
and several small ensembles were formed within the band. During Captain
Stannard’s leadership radio programs were initiated. Although these
performances were much enjoyed by the public, they required many hours
of planning and rehearsing.
However, not all the services of the U. S. Army Band have taken place
within the United States itself. This was the first band ever sent out
of the country by the government as an ambassador of good will.
In 1929 Captain Stannard and his men represented the United States at
the Iberian-American Exposition in Seville, Spain. The band gave sixty
concerts, including a command performance in Madrid, for King Alfonso
XIII and the royal family.
The Pan-American Union in Washington chose the U. S. Army Band to be
the official music ambassador on this occasion. They considered it
excelled all other organizations in exploiting Latin-American music in
the United States.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account