The unexpected had happened, and such a shout as went up from that
throng I have never heard equaled. Hats were tossed in the air,
gray-bearded men embraced, and for a few minutes a jubilant pandemonium
reigned supreme. During the rest of our stay in Fayetteville
the repertoire of the Marine Band was on this order: "Yankee
Doodle,"--"Dixie;" "Star-Spangled Banner,"--"Dixie;" "Red, White and
Blue,"--"Dixie."
In all my experience the acme of patriotic fervor was reached during
a reunion of the Loyal Legion at Philadelphia some years ago. The
exercises were held in the Academy of Music, and the band occupied
the orchestra pit in front of the stage, which was crowded with
distinguished veterans.
I had strung together for the occasion a number of war-songs,
bugle-calls and patriotic airs, and when the band played them the
martial spirit began to stir the people. As we broke into "Marching
Through Georgia," a distinguished-looking old soldier stepped to the
foot-lights and began to sing the familiar words of the famous song in
a loud, clear voice. The entire audience joined in, and as the swelling
volume of melody rolled through the house, the enthusiasm waxed more
intense.
Verse after verse was sung, interrupted with frantic cheers, until it
seemed that the very ecstasy of enthusiasm had been reached. It was
only when physically exhausted that the audience calmed down and the
exercises proceeded.
A Chorus of Ten Thousand.
During the World's Fair at Chicago my present band was giving nightly
concerts in the Court of Honor surrounding the lagoon. On one beautiful
night in June fully ten thousand people were gathered round the
bandstand while we were playing a medley of popular songs.
Director Tomlins, of the World's Fair Choral Associations, was on the
stand, and exclaiming, "Keep that up, Sousa!" he turned to the crowd and
motioned the people to join him in singing. With the background of the
stately buildings of the White City, this mighty chorus, led by the
band, sang the songs of the people-"Home, Sweet Home," "Suwanee River,"
"Annie Laurie," "My Old Kentucky Home," etc., and never did the familiar
melodies sound so grandly beautiful.
The influence of music to quiet disorder and to allay fear is quite as
potent as its power to excite and to stir enthusiasm. A case in point
happened at the St. Louis Exposition, where my band was giving a series
of concerts. There was an enormous audience in the music hall when, in
the middle of the programme, every electric light suddenly went out,
leaving the house in complete darkness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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