MUSIC NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1322, 26 August 1915, Page 32

MUSIC NOTES.

(By

“G” String.)

It is said that there is a drum famine in England on account of the difficulty of obtaining vellum, with which the heads are made.

Madame Calve has decided that one fourth of her earnings whilst in vaudeville shall go to the French Red Cross.

Sir Edward Elgar has written a new orchestral work entitled “Polonia.” It is based upon the two national hymns of Poland, and it is dedicated to Paderewski. Geraldine Farrar, the American vocalist, is one of the latest recruits for the “movies.” She is to play her famous role of “Carmen.” Joseph Holbrooke, the English composer, is to conduct his new opera ballet, “The Enchanted Garden,” in New York during the coming autumn. The piece was written specially for Anna Pavlova. G. H. Clutsam has “created” a volume of music designed to fit scenes

shown on the screen, bearing the title “Metzler’s Original Cinema Music, No. 1.” French musicians at the front have been putting up an heroic record, and many stirring anecdotes have been related from time to time. The latest achievement, cited by the Orders of the Day, is recorded by the special correspondent of the London “Daily Chronicle,” Phillip Gibbs. It is a remarkable story of a little band of musicians who played their regiment to victory under a storm of fire, as told by one of the officers, which is here condensed. The souschef of the band, Claude Laty, was ordered to play during the action “La Charge” and “La Marseillaise.” In the centre of the group of 15 to 18 men a white stick made the “Marseillaise” flame forth; impassive under the storm of shrapnel, Claude Laty was leading and marking the cadences. The sunken road was swept by machine guns. They were on the refrain, “Qu’un sang impur,” when the baritone, Maguy, had his arm pierced by shrapnel; he withdrew behind his neighbour so as not to distress his comrades. Then Tillocher. the bass viol, was wounded in turn; he covered his face with his

hand and shook his head, but he began to play again. The bandmaster indicated the repeat. “Aliens, enfants de la patrie,” and the children of France closed in their ranks and began again. The musicians, with their eyes rather haggard, watched their leader, and played as they had often done in the Tuileries Gardens, without a false note. When the two musicians to the right and left of their chief were at the bar “L’Etendard sangiant est leve,” the flautist, Delaitre, and the alto, Engles, fell dead. Tillocher was again hit; this second ball in the thigh put him out of action. Suddenly the 46th sprang forward to the enemies trenches, “La Charge” shouted Laty, and the musicians played a fanfare of terrible significance. Almost immediately a body fell over Tillocher; it was one of the three clarinets, Laurent. Blanchard received a bullet in his right cheek; he fell backwards with his bass drum, and the same bullet which wounded him went through the hand of a flautist, Regnier. Gastel, another clarinetist, fell shot through the heart. The bursting of a shrapnel shell tossed a ’ saxophone through the' air. Every one of the instruments had been pierced, but Claude' Laty still beat time.