The Roof'S FATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 229, 27 September 1935, Page 15

The Roof'S FATE.

REFUSED TO WRITE JAZZ. NOW IN A WORKHOUSE. (Special.—By Air Mail.) LONDON, September 7. Because he refused to write jazz, Charles le Thiere, the 74-year-old composer of military music which has been played by some of the finest bands in the British Army, is an inmate of Brighton Institution. His plight was revealed at Brighton Police Court when Alfred James Fenn, an attendant at the institution, was remanded on a charge of stealing a letter containing a cheque for £12 7/, belonging to le Thiere, whose real name is Thomas Willby Thomkins. It was stated that the cheque was for royalties from the Performing Rights Soci&ty.

Years ago Ie Tliiere wrote stirring military tunes that set feet tapping to their rhythm with as much gusto as the modern generation finds pleasure in the hottest of present-day dance music. The age of jazz came. Le Thiere found that his lively marches were no longer in demand. Ilis rise to becoming one of the foremost composers of military music in the country waned. Friends tried to persuade him to change his musical genius towards composing popular dance music. But' le Thiere belonged to the old school. He went on composing his military tunes, although he was fighting a lonely and losing' battle—a battle that has led to poverty. Le Thiere is now a broken man. For years he has been ekeing out an existnece with money received in royalties from some of his old compositions, among them being such popular military band tunes as "Our Regiment," "Gypsy Life," "Clear the Road" and "Silver Birds."

A closa friend of le Thiere and a member of tlie music comp.uiy which published his works said how the aged composer struggled against the advent of jazz music. "He was a most brilliant composer of military music," said Mr. Winter, "but when jazz came along his whole future was ruined. He had the genius to write jazz, but he simplyrefused, as he often told me, to forsake his art for a "lot of young dancing fools.' Le Thiere was a brilliant piccolo player and was formerly in the Grenadier Guards Band."