impossible to get them together at that time of night, as they were scattered all over the city.
"Well, those are my instructions and those are your orders," said the commanding officer.
So we sent the band-messengers out to the men's lodgings, and they found just one musician at home, and he was the bass-drummer.
At eight o'clock, arrayed in all the gorgeousness of my scarlet and gold uniform, I sat in front of the band platform in the White House lobby, and the bass-drummer stationed himself back in the semi-obscurity of his corner. There was a dazzling array of music-stands and empty chairs, but no musicians! The President evidently saw the humorous side of it, and when I explained the situation he said it could not be helped. All the evening we sat there and listened to humorous remarks from the guests. We had "reported for duty," though, and the drummer and I stayed till the reception was over.
End of Project Gutenberg Etext The Experiences of a Bandmaster, by Sousa
Experiences of a Bandmaster
from http://mc.clintock.com/gutenberg/
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