Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland was much interested in music, and evinced
a partiality for Arthur Sullivan's melodies. Mrs. Harrison's favorite
music was Nevin's "Good Night, Beloved" and the Sousa marches. The
soundness of Mrs. Cleveland's musical taste was shown by her liking for
the "Tannhauser" overture and other music of that character.
The Marine Band played all the music for President Cleveland's wedding,
which took place in the Blue Room of the White House. The distance from
the room up-stairs to the exact spot where the ceremony was to take
place was carefully measured by Colonel Lamont and myself, in order
that the music might be timed to the precise number of steps the wedding
party would have to take; and the climax of the Mendelssohn "Wedding
March" was played by the band just as the bride and groom reached the
clergyman.
President Cleveland's Veto.
A few days before the ceremony I submitted my musical programme to
Colonel Lamont for the President's approval, and among the numbers was a
quartet called "The Student of Love," from one of my operas. Even in
the anticipation of his happiness Mr. Cleveland was keenly alive to
the opportunities for humorous remarks which this title might afford to
irreverent newspaper men; and he said to his secretary: "Tell Sousa
he can play that quartet, but he had better omit the name of it."
Accordingly, "The Student of Love" was conspicuous by its absence.
When North Carolina celebrated its centenary, the Marine Band was
ordered to Fayetteville to participate in the ceremonies. The little
Southern town was much interested in the advent of the "President's
Band," and the prevailing opinion was that "Dixie" would be tabooed
music with us. Before the exercises a local committee waited upon me and
intimated that "Dixie" was a popular melody in that vicinity.
"Of course," said the spokesman, "we don't want you to play anything
you don't want to, but please remember, sir, that we are very fond of
'Dixie' here."
Bowing gravely, I thanked the committee for their interest in my
programme, but left them completely in the dark as to whether I intended
to play the loved song of the South or not.
"Dixie," by the President's Band.
The ceremonies opened with a patriotic address by Governor Fowle,
lauding the glories of the American flag and naturally the only
appropriate music to such a sentiment was "The Star-Spangled Banner,"
which the crowd patriotically cheered.
The tone of the succeeding oration was equally fervid, but the speaker
enlarged upon the glories of the Commonwealth whose one hundredth
anniversary was being celebrated. The orator sat down, there was a
momentary pause, and then as I raised my baton the strains of "Dixie"
fell upon the delighted ears of the thousands round the platform.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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