Saturday Evening Gazette/June 7, 1856/Concert by Dodworth's Band

Concert by Dodworth’s Band.—The announcement of a concert by New York’s pet band under the auspices of the Boston Light Infantry had sufficient attraction to fill the Boston Music Hall to an overflow which peopled the doors and vestibules, although the dog star reigned and the atmosphere was sweltering and oppressive. This justly celebrated body of musicians gave a concert in this city two years since, which received large patronage from our music lovers, but on Tuesday evening so great was the excitement to see and hear “Dodworth’s Band” that near three thousand tickets were sold and the Music Hall fairly boiled over into the vestibules. Late comers found seats or standees within the hall a luxury unattainable, and therefore became promenaders. This association is organized for concerts in three ways—Orchestra, Military Band and Serenade Choir. In the first there is too great a preponderance of brass and the overture to Maritana, their opening piece, made no remarkable sensation. The next piece, a fantasia upon the Anvil Chorus and part of the Gypsey music of Il Trovatore, was given by the Military Band with such admirable color, expression and nicety, combined with breadth of tone and gracing command of light and shade, that an irresistible encore brought them back to give a part over again. Mr. Eltz’s solo on the fagotto was all that his great reputation induced the expectation of, and, being accompanied to a charm, it gained even that master of the bassoon fresh laurels. The orchestra was more successful in H. B. Dodworth’s Waltz and Introduction than in the Maritana overture and proved themselves well practised in dance music. The Quartett from Rigoletto by the Serenade Choir, H. B. Dodworth, Major, Downing and Baass, principals, delightfully apprised the audience that masters were playing and their satisfaction was so emphatically expressed that Mr. Dodworth came forward to offer “Rest, Spirit, rest” in deference to request therefor. That exquisite performance of a beautiful composition put the seal to this band’s diploma of supremacy in this country. Expression and sentiment were brought out with a truth and beauty at once rare and touching. The Tiger Polka with its quaint introduction and spirited performance of course produced an encore for the Military Band and Rogers’s Quickstep was played with such life and abandon that all our street bands seemed tame and meagre in comparison. The Quadrille, “Evening Bells,” with obligatos for the Belharmonicon, Flaeolett, Clarionet and Cornet à Piston would have delighted even Jullien to hear. It captivated and held the audience spell bound until its close when an universal re-demand enforced its repetition. The popularity of these performers is easily accounted for, after such evidence of their skill and exceeding good taste. Allen Dodworth’s solo on the Cornet à Piston, “White Mountain Echoes,” received a well deserved encore and H. B. Dodworth’s solo on that instrument with the Serenade Choir to back him, had it not come at so late an hour, might have been justly awarded the same compliment. Notwithstanding the almost intolerable hear this concert was enjoyable and enlivening. The members of Dodworth’s Band may feel justly proud that three thousand persons came to a concert room with the thermometer at eighty odd, and their excellent performances retained so large a portion of that mass in a sweltering atmosphere for three hours and a half, the greater part going at seven and remaining until half-past ten.