CAPTAIN HUGH J. CURRY
Leader of U. S. Army Band
Clear and sweet the tones of a boy’s soprano voice rang out in an age-old Christmas carol, while the class whole-heartedly joined in the chorus. The music period in that third grade school room was a pleasure shared by the pupils and their teacher. They all enjoyed singing with Hugh Curry. And how Hugh liked to sing!
Music occupied a large place in the Curry home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was a great part of the regular family life. Both Mr. and Mrs. Curry were talented musicians. Hugh Curry, Sr., was a well-known amateur violinist as well as a popular singer.
Helen, the daughter of the family, made music her profession. She became the head of the Music Department of Teachers’ College at Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Hugh Curry, Jr., born in 1911, was reared in a fine musical atmosphere. From such a heritage and environment he naturally turned to music. He sang from his earliest years.
Soon the boy wanted to produce other music. Singing was really a part of him, but it was not enough to satisfy him. He begged to be allowed to play an instrument, and at the age of nine he began to study the trumpet. Then as his voice developed, vocal study was added to Hugh’s educational subjects.
Although devoted to music, Hugh was a good student and made outstanding records in his other, less showy studies. An all-round American boy, he was very fond of sports. No one ever dreamed of calling Hugh Curry a “sissy.” As a valuable member of the school’s baseball team and an ice hockey star, Hugh was extremely popular.
By the time he was ready to enter college Hugh Curry had won recognition as a professional musician in both vocal and instrumental fields. He enrolled at Boston University and his musical activities helped defray a large share of the expenses of his college education.
Curry was graduated from the University with a Bachelor of Music degree. Soon after his graduation, he married a college classmate, the former Kathleen Howard, prominent as a light opera singer. Curry began his professional career as an instructor in the U. S. Army School of Music. From the New York College of Music he was awarded the degree of Honorary Doctor of Music. He became increasingly active in Music Education and also achieved great success in light opera.
In 1941 Hugh Curry joined the United States Army. A thorough musician, a talented violinist and singer, as Chief Warrant Officer he was appointed Assistant Bandleader of the Army Band in North Africa. Curry worked with the Band all through the African-European tour to cheer and entertain the fighting men.
Captain Curry commented personally regarding this period. “While the United States Army Band was the only major service music organization to tour the combat area during World War II, it must be pointed out that such an experience and its unceasing companion, mental, physical, and spiritual discomforts seem glamorous to the men only in retrospect. The route of the Band through these areas was designed primarily to permit the organization to reach the maximum number of allied troops, and the needs of the Band were often sacrificed in order to bring our men a few moments of relaxation. In those hectic days of rapidly fluctuating battle lines, the Band, hampered by its necessary but unwieldy burden of instruments, was often exposed. Even in Antwerp, Belgium, an Army bandsman was wounded by a V-2 rocket bomb.”
When Bandleader Captain Darcy retired in September, 1945, he was succeeded by Captain Hugh Curry. A thorough reorganization was instituted. More new members were desired and applicants poured in from every part of the United States. All were carefully screened, not only in proficiency on their individual instruments, but also their adaptability to all types of music. Each was thoroughly tested, examined, auditioned and even his vocal ability was judged.
Finally Captain Curry enrolled more than one hundred of America’s finest bandsmen in the United States Army Band. They represent a large cross section of colleges, universities, symphony orchestras and many name dance bands, as well as almost every important American music school. Even the American Indian is represented by a full-blooded member of the Onondaga tribe. While at the very heart of the organization is a small and respected group of men remaining from the original “Pershing’s Own” Band.
Technicians, skilled arrangers and other necessary personnel have been added by Captain Curry to this perfectly balanced Army Band. Today, the United States Army Band under its handsome, dignified leader, is able to provide prompt and efficient response to the many demands laid upon it.
The United States Army Air Forces Band
The United States Army Air Forces needed a band. It had to be a good band too, one that would keep pace with—or better still—lead the streamlined Air Forces.
In 1942 Warrant Officer Alf Heiberg was appointed to organize and lead the new band. At Bolling Field, Washington, D. C., the national Headquarters of the U. S. Army Air Force, Officer Heiberg found a saxophone quartette happily playing “on their own.” With this group for a nucleus he began to assemble his band. It was an easier job than Heiberg had anticipated for there were many experienced and outstanding musicians among the fliers who were eager to play, and an adequate number of men were soon enrolled. They were all enthusiastic and practiced so faithfully that in an unbelievably short time the United States Air Force had a good band, one that compared favorably with the other service bands.
A new leader was assigned in March, 1944, Captain George Sallade Howard. He was the ideal man for the job, a man with talent, training and ideas. A highly educated musician. Captain Howard at forty had spent half his years in music teaching and directing bands and orchestras. An inspiring conductor, Captain Howard also possessed many original ideas which soon began to produce unusual results in his work with this new band.
After two months of intensive practice the Air Force Band went on a concert tour throughout eastern Canada. It was acclaimed by the critics as the finest concert band ever heard.
Upon returning to Washington the Band played at a command performance at the White House. That the program was successful was evident, as the Air Force Band was immediately sent on an exchange tour of Great Britain which brought the RAF Central Band to America.
From their first program in Royal Albert Hall in London, the Air Force Band was praised in highest terms by the foremost English musicians. At that time Britain was living on extremely short food and fuel rations. Many concerts were played by the Bandsmen bundled up in their heavy overcoats, and at times, even wearing their hats and gloves.
On account of the cold weather, and the unheated buildings, the people in England generally had colds. Consequently the audiences coughed noisily during the concerts, but they were enthusiastic over the fine playing of the great Air Force Band from America. Frequent air raids and buzz bombs also interfered with concert programs. After the “Battle of the Bulge” Captain Howard and his band returned to the United States.
At the end of the war in 1945, this Air Force group was disbanded. However, the United States Army Air Forces could not do without their fine band. Captain Howard had established his reputation as an unusually capable conductor. He was transferred to the permanent Air Force with the rank of Major and given the duty of organizing a permanent Air Force Band.
Only five of the one-hundred-piece wartime band were willing to reenlist. Major Howard had to start his new organization from the very beginning. He had decided ideas regarding the possibilities of a large military band and he proceeded to put them in force. Determined to have only the best musicians, he used the utmost care in selecting the players. Fully 1,100 men applied for admission and each one was critically auditioned.
One hundred and fifteen players were selected—a rare group—so many were experts, men who had occupied top places in topmost organizations. Some had been graduated from outstanding universities, others had played in famous orchestras, symphonic and popular swing bands. One player had been a symphony concertmeister, and the famous baritone soloist, Glenn Darwin, came from the Metropolitan Opera Company.
For his first assistant Major Howard appointed Chief Warrant Officer John F. Yesulaitis, who was not only a graduate in music, but also had an extensive military experience. He had been a bandleader in World War II and in charge of the 7th and 77th Infantry division bands in the South and West Pacific. He is the most decorated member of the band having made every landing and taken part in every important campaign in the Pacific.
Robert L. Landers, the director of the band’s famous glee club, “The Singing Sergeants,” is an important member of the Major’s staff. He has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, studied under Sir Thomas Beecham, Assistant Conductor of the San Carlo Opera Company, Leader of 529th Air Force Band at Atlantic City and also at Buckley Field in Denver.
These, and many other gifted artists, make up a splendid ensemble who are able at the same time to make their individual talents apparent. From this versatile organization, Colonel Howard—he was made a Lt. Colonel in 1949—can send out a marching band of one hundred or more men. He can choose eighty to ninety to form a symphonic band, seventy or as many as he likes for a concert orchestra. He has several dance bands, chamber music sextettes, and a well-balanced glee club.
A staff of music writers are kept at work making new arrangements, a well-trained narrator announces the program descriptions and reads the necessary script. And the maestro of this great band supervises the building of the programs which he rehearses and conducts for radio, concert stage and military duty. Besides these performances they average three concert tours a year, provide music for important military and state functions and represent the United States Air Force musically. The Air Force Band is usually in attendance when foreign diplomats or royalty happen to be in the Capital. During the summer military band concerts are given in various centers of Washington, and orchestra concerts are played during the winter in the Lisner auditorium. The concerts by the Air Force Band, as well as those by the other Service Bands, are free to the public.
Colonel Howard says, “We wanted a unit that was as streamlined as the Air Forces themselves.... We desired a band that could give a performance of Scheherazade or The Flying Dutchman comparable to that by any symphony orchestra, and in the next breath could rival Benny Goodman.”
In this they have succeeded.