Today, I present a new addition to the International Hall of Navy Band Greatness. This is the INS Chilika Band of the Indian Navy, headquartered on India's east coast at the INS Chilika Sailor Training Establishment.
Evidently, a new musical practice has swept the Indian subcontinent. Not knowing the precise term, I'll call it "Music Minus Melody." Performer and listener are now equal partners. The band's job is to play, and the listener's job is to try to guess what the band is playing.
In western Navy band concerts, the audience is spoon-fed by a narrator who spells it out for you, as in "The music of Irving Berlin blah blah of Russian birth yada yada but a true American through and through blah blah et cetera 'God Bless America.'"
When "Music Minus Melody is employed, the listener is not offered the smallest clue. He or she must consider the complexities of harmony, texture and traditional accompaniment styles in order to suss out the meagerest of melodic implications.
I believe the band in this clip is playing "(There'll Be a) Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight." You may disagree. Feel free to let me know, and don't feel obligated to prove your reasoning. There is no "right" or "wrong" where "Music Minus Melody"is concerned. It's much like an interfaith prayer breakfast--I pray to Jesus, you pray to the Three Headed Monkey, someone says "Amen," and we all shake hands head to the office.
But I really do think it's "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight." You'll notice that at about 1:03, the conductor briefly stops conducting. He's clearly as astonished as I was to find trace evidence of a melody.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, here is the INS Chilika Sailor Training Establishment playing "_______."
Oh, yes, I almost forgot; here's the video that started my quest for collecting evidence of greatness in Navy bands. This is the Russian Navy Show Band. For those who saw this when I first posted it a few years ago, be warned: this is not a fine wine that improves with age.
