BRITAIN'S BANDS (4)

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 20, 10 November 1939, Page 15

BRITAIN'S BANDS (4)

Every schoolboy knows that an army marches on its belly, but it marches faster and farther if its feet move to music. This is the fourth of a series of short histories of the most famous bands of Britain, The author is an expert who prefers to remain anonymous.

HEN Charles the Second landed at Dover he was received by the Mayor, who in "a few well chosen words" presented the King with a Bible. He then started out on the journey to London, a progress which took four days, and was an uninterrupted triumph. London was entered on May 29, 1660, Charles’s birthday, and Evelyn, who stood in the Strand and watched the King go by, has left us a vivid account of the event: "the ways strewn with

flowers, the bells ringing, the streets hung with tapestry, fountains running with wine." Over twenty thousand soldiers were present, brandishing their swords and shouting in a delirium of joy. This procession wound its way through London’s streets from two in the afternoon until nine at night. It ‘was a great home-coming. Oldest Cavalry Regiment The Commonwealth Army was at once disbanded, with the exception of General Monk’s Foot Regiment (the Coldstreams) and Colonel Unton Crook’s Cavalry Regiment, now the Royal Horse Guards. They were retained in the King’s pay until the following February, when they were taken

over by the Government, and paid by the country. The "Blues" is therefore the oldest British cavalry regiment. Until the early part of the 19th century the regimental music consisted of trumpets and kettle drums. On St. George’s Day, 1805, King George the Third presented the regiment with a set of sterling silver kettle drums. The first bandmaster of the "Blues" was Herr Stowasser, who was succeeded by James Tutton, a very gifted musisian, who, incidentally, was one of the founders of the "Society of British Musicians." Printed His Own Music In 1859, Tutton was succeeded by Garl Boose, a brilliant clarinet player, formerly bandmaster of the 9th Lancers, also the Foot Guards. Boose was the first to publish a Military Band Journal in England, which he did under extreme difficulties. While he himself wanted publishers to take the MSS he already had and go ahead and get them printed, not one of them was willing to risk the money in the venture, so he finally decided to be his own printer and publisher. He wrote on stone for lithographing and did his own printing. The Godfreys In 1869 he retired and was succeeded by Charles Godfrey, one of the famous family of military musicians, brother of Dan and Fred. Under Godfrey’s direction the band became immediately popular throughout the country. After 44 years’ service he retired in 1903, and at the time was a Fellow and Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, Professor at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music. The Godfreys were nothing if not thorough. J. Manuel Bilton succeeded. and a worthy successor he proved to be. With a brilliant career as player, conductor, pedagogue and composer, Bilton came to his new task with all the necessary qualities to build up an even greater band than the "Blues" had seen. He undoubtedly succeeded.