The music of Don Gillis III; 22

You're listening to music by don't give us. The mothering. My lady that is me with the world. Has bored some 55 years ago. Sometimes. Your emotions. Are quite sure. What you mean is that I talk too much. But these other words like girls in more places and. More. Might. Now sense I feel that she may be right I'm going to say only the most necessary of words this week and cut out my loquaciousness and garrulousness right down to the point almost of silence. I shall speak only of such things as for instance the name of this program it is called and I'll read it right off of this piece of paper of which I type so that there won't be too many extra words. It's called Music by Don give us and where does it come from I can almost hear you saying. Well music by Don give us comes from the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas Texas. I am chairman of the music

division of the School of the arts and who brings this program to us each week I can well imagine you are wondering I know if I heard a program like this each week I would sure wonder. It is brought to you and I'm still reading from the verbose and loquacious list of answers right now. It is brought to you by the National Education radio network in the fullness of their wisdom and the kindness of their hearts or hearts as we say here in Dallas. And so friend since we've come this far together you might as well finish it up with me and listen to it all the way through because we're going to bring you the man who invented music. And then three sketches for strings. And our program gets under way as we begin with the work played for us by the United States Army Band entitled him song for Sunday. With more.

The music was him song for Sunday the performance group the United States Army Band with our

friend me as conductor our friend he is as usual give us his program the music of and so forth is being heard very plainly right now by all of you still tuned in. Next we'll hear music for string orchestra a suite whose brief movements are subtitled daydreams whimsey and chant three sketches for strings. Why. Why.

Three sketches for strings music by Don Gillis continues now as we

hear a familiar work of mine the man who invented music in the performance we're going to hear now Jack Kilty as narrator with the new symphony orchestra of London. As I conduct the man who invented music. When it's bed time. You. Pick up your toys and hop into bed. Please go to sleep when my. Grandfather was the babysitter for the

evening and he would have much rather been playing checkers or. Going to sleep when. When Dave was 4 when he had a man. Or grandson. That was an answer carefully thought all. Complete. And final. No not until you tell me a story. Or story saying your beloved by Instead there sure. Grandfather was still thinking about it. Come on now Wendy. Grandfather will sing you a lullaby. Then you go to sleep. Probably not. Besides you don't know any well of tell me a story instead. I don't know and I'm a fan of my music.

What do you think of that young lady. Wendy laugh. The dogs laugh. And the people painted on the wallpaper. And who was an elephant laugh so hard the stuffing nearly came out of it. It. Means when they never go to sleep if you keep laughing. I never go to sleep if you try to sing grandpa told me a story. Tell me how you invented music. Well once upon a time about four million years ago the world was a

dark unhappy place. The sun rose hopefully every morning. Changed his mind and went back to bed. The birds didn't sing. They had nothing to sing. The bells didn't ring. They had nothing to ring. Nobody could dance. There was nothing to dance to. No drum majors prance. There was nothing to prance to. Nobody whistled. Not even the pretty girls. And worst of all the children never went to see me. No one no use. So they just ride. And. Ride. And ride. In the Sun happy time they lived a great inventor. Meet your grandfather. I'd invented lots of good things for children like dolls and scooters and lollipops and chocolate milk. But still they weren't happy. I tried to figure out why but the kids cried so much that I just couldn't hear myself think.

So one day I decided to go out into the woods to build a new house where it would be quiet. I took my bow and arrow got into my car and drove on to the edge of town. Well this looks like a good place I said. But when I started to chop down a tree with my axe there was a funny sound. While I hit another tree and there was a funnier sound. And then I hit a bunch of trees. And it sounded so good I said to myself if trees sound this good what will happen if I hit this big rock. Being pretty good I think I'll try another one. Even better now another one. I. Think I'll try them all together.

And so while I was at it I just decided to go ahead and invent radio 2. I had a busy morning. I hit around on sticks and stones and before you knew it I was on the track of inventing music. So I rushed home got my signed and then to report do not disturb and started inventing as fast as I recall. First I invented the flute. Next the oboe. But then I decided it would take too long like this. I better invent them in bunches

clarinets bass clarinets and I said get invented. And they did. And after the woodwinds I invented the trumpets. Next I invented the French horns. On the slide drum bones. And finally the tuba.

And I bet it changed that a little. I guess I would have invented the strings at all if it hadn't been for the old tom cat howling in the corner. I'm here. For you good stuff cotton in your ears. There was the violent one. And the viola group. And the

cellos. And the basses. But that wasn't all I needed I had to have sharps and flats and it's a condo mold polenta Oh and staccato. Trouble glad I'm retired with the Allegro old home wouldn't be made to buy another jag on the walls scared so downbeat jazz and schmaltzy jukebox drumstick and Jean-Yves assumes the tongs and Toscanini. Roof when I put them all together. No Wallace and Pentagon made so much noise that people gathered from miles around

and since they all look like they want to stay somewhere I had to figure out some way to get them away from there. So I said Abracadabra. But they didn't. Then I said. Well because pocus but they stayed right there. And finally I had a big idea. I said January February March was. And sure enough the first music my instruments played was a march. But then something terrible happened when the people learned to march. Somebody started a war

and the only way I could think to stop it. Most band of dance music. Was. Today it's music stop the fight all right. And everybody had a wonderful time dancing but they got so tired dancing I had to figure out a way to let them rest. So. I invented the symphony concert. Complete with the sculling music critic on every roll. But you know. Even with the bird singing and the bells

ringing and the pretty girls smiling when they heard the whistle something was still missing. And I couldn't imagine what it was until I heard the children crying. It was evening and a little bird flew above the roof. Funny looking. Sunny looking kind of a bird and his song was the love of my life. And when the children heard the song quiet slumber song they went to sleep. When I screamed long and puppy dog. And circus clown. And that Wendy. Said ran over him. And then he stopped. When he was asleep. And the people painted on the walls. And go Whoa. Who was an elephant. Grandfather smiled. And closed his eyes.

And then. A strange thing happened. He seemed to be hearing voices. Voices across the century. Beethoven instead of various barks. And man the piper. And all the other ways of bringing someone out of water and when he heard them call their voices. Which was strange because all they said was. Soem invented music. And smiled again. She asked for a story. With this performance of the man who invented music by the new symphony orchestra of London with

Jack killed his narrator we reluctantly come to the end of another edition of music by Don Gillis. At least I'm reluctant I don't know about you. Maybe you can't wait to get this thing over with so you can go on back to bead string or mountain climbing or whatever it is you do between these shows. I know what I do of course I'm chairman of a music school which means that one's duties include everything from major policy planning to helping to install a pencil sharpener in the theory classroom. But whatever it is I do happens to get done at Southern Methodist University in Dallas Texas a place you could send your cards and letters if you wanted to. And if you don't do it I'll remind you about it again next week I may even give a prize. I think I will give a prize. Friends send a copy of my newly published book The unfinished symphony conductor to the person and I'll even autograph it to the person writing what I think is the best letter about this program and only I will be the judge of your entry

so right now I have a bit of free time I could read all of these letters now since I have the pencil sharpeners already put out for the semester. By the way next week is my seventh symphony so when the national educational radio network brings you this program be sure to be there to hear it. Until next week then this is done give us saying best and bless. So long. This program was distributed by national educational radio. This is the national educational radio network.