EVEN THE BABIES
HEAR THE BAND.
Battery B Musicians Please
Large Audience in Con-
vention Hall.
Yesterday afternoon's concert at Convention hall by Battery B band will not be the last, according to an announcement from the stage. There was no question of the success of the event, every number being vigorously applauded, "Lohengrin" proving fully as popular as the one ragtime selection of the afternoon.
The size of the audience was a surprise to the management, nearly 1,500 people being present. It was distictly a family gathering of fathers, mothers and the children. Mr. and Mrs. Newlywed and the baby were on hand and Papa Newlywed did a pedestrian "stunt" up in the balcony when the baby showed a disposition to rial the best efforts of the musicians.
Director Berry ha arranged an excellent programme, comprising seven instrumental and two vocal numbers, which was more than doubled by the insistent encores of the audience. Miss Mildred Langworthy was the soprano soloist and Ross Dale the tenor. Both pleased and were compelled to respond to encores.
The feature numbers by the band were a fantasie from Wagner's "Lohengrin," the overture from Offenbach's "Orpheus," and exquisite number beautifully rendered; a euphonium solo, "Evening Star" from "Tannhauser"' Nevin's dainty "Narcissus." The closing number was called the "Congress of Nations" and comprised the national airs of various countries. To give a spectacular touch, members of Battery B entered, one at a time, with the flag of the country as the band played the national air, closing with "The Star Spangled Banner" and Old Glory brought a storm of applause.
Yesterday's concert demonstrated that Kansas City has a large class of music lovers who do not require the stimulus of a great name to induce them to turn out. The classic selections on yesterday's programme were equally enjoyed with the lighter numbers. Director Berry had the courage to omit "ragtime" save in one single instance, and no one, apparently, felt very badly over it.
