MightyDon

[MightyDon]

KEITH CLARK...

I noticed today that Keith Clark 74, the bugler who played taps at President John F. Kennedy's funeral has passed away on Jan. 13, of a aneurysm in Fort Pierce, Fla. after giving a sterling performance and solo with a Symphony.
At the president's funeral...Mr. Clark actually "cracked the sixth note"...ON PURPOSE..
and it is said that he worked carefully on preparing this note to be played exactly...to include this fluff, to show emotion and deep feelings.
This is decribed also by author William Manchester as..."like a catch in your voice, or a swiftly stifled sob" in exactly the right spot in the taps...performance and added greatly to the mood of the moment. This was explained it is said in the 1967 book "The Death of a President.

Just a thought!!!! AT LAST, I HAVE FOUND AN "EXCUSE" for my many, many years of "TRAINWRECKED FLUFFED NOTES...AH! I CAN SIMPLY STATE, I DID IT FOR THE EMOTION AND FEELING OF THE MOMENT.

God rest our beloved Mr. Keith Clark...and our deepest condelences.

unmighty don...The Mighty King of the "trumpet trainwrecks!"

[dales]

I dunno about cracking that note "on purpose."

I thought it went something like this: he stood in the freezing rain not moving for three hours, next to the artillery or something loud that made him temporarily deaf. Then he finally gets to play, no warmup, lips freezing; he actually comes in clean, despite all that, but then (inevitably) misses a note and gets it analyzed for the rest of his life.

Trumpet player's life, in microcosm.

[tom turner]

Hi,

Sorry to hear that Keith Clark has passed away. I was a 7th grade trumpeter in late November of '63 when Keith cracked the note that was talked about all over the world. So many people at the time couldn't believe that the Army's top player would bust one! How embarrassing this must have been to him.

As an Army trumpeter, I doubt I ever screwed up taps. It was, and remains, our honor to the dead NOT to mess up this sacred song up--the last thing done at graveside.

However, a friend forwarded a letter that he received written by a Mr. Bruce Zeigler. I think everyone should read this, for we are all so quick to judge people sometimes when they make a mistake or have a bad day or night on the trumpet. The letter:
___________________

John:

You mentioned the Kennedy funeral. The bugler for that funeral was my Trumpet teacher - Keith Clark. He is the same Keith Clark that did the Charlier translations and bibliographies on so many of the orchestras for the International Trumpet Guild.

At the time, in 1963, he was the solo cornetist with the US Army Band. I had a lesson right after the funeral and he was still in a state of shock when I got there - about 3 hours later.

He had been at Arlington Cemetary since 5am, and this particular day was extremely cold - mid 20s if I remember right. He was not allowed inside any building, but had to shield himself from the wind and cold by sitting behind a tombstone.

Under those conditions and the sheer emotion of the day, I think he can be forgiven for cracking a note. Actually, I think it added to the poignancy of the moment. Mr. Clark is one of the finest men I have ever known and I owe him a great deal for the work ethic he instilled into my musical life.

Bruce Zeiger
______________________
May Mr. Clark rest in peace. He was truly a fine trumpet player who carried the embarrassment of the missed note with dignity to his grave and who sat above his detractors due to his musical talent. Keith had class!

Sincerely,

Tom Turner

PS: Don, somehow you must have accidentally typed your name on the "subject" line when creating this new post. If you wish, you can go under "edit" and change the subject line to KEITH CLARK DIES or something like it so people will notice this and check on the details. Just a suggestion!

[ This Message was edited by: tom turner on 2002-01-20 22:34 ]

[MightyDon]

Gee, I type about as mighty as I play the the MIGHTY HORN???
I tried without success...in changing the title for the topic...Hummm, too many high notes.

As to Keith's cracked note...this article states just how it added so much feeling and feeling to the piece.
Interesting how folks take licence with the facts...however, like the piece written in the newspaper, someone sometime must have THOUGHT this was the case.
However any trumpet player alive...IN PERFORMANCE...WHO CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE NEVER FLUFFED OR TRAINWRECK IN PERFORMANCE ...IS KIDDING THEMSELVES or stretchin' the evelope like the author of this column in the local paper.
Charlie Schuleter put it so beautiful a few years ago at a clinic in Portland.
Any trumpet player worth his weight in brass...who claims that he hasn't fluffed-cracked-trainwrecked-clammed, truly isn't trying hard enough....or just isn't worth listening too and it is far better to live ONE MOMENT AS THE KING OF BEASTS OR A LIFETIME AS A LAMB!....or something like that.
That is pretty much exactly how he said it...and of coure we have all heard this story many times over.
Charles often commented just how silly many directors are to insist that a certain classical piece be played, exactly as written.....when in fact....even the masters in those days, did not perform their written works each time...exactly as written and how boring and plain bland it is to do so and because of this...so many wonderful pieces written by the masters...have been turned into mear shades of grey...when musicians are held tightly in check by a concert master over striving for accuracy...over artistic licence.

Today, I agree, with Charles....How boring to hear many of the totally clinically clean performances...(NERD FREE) Hey, give me the old MILES DAVIS, ROY ELDRIDGE, ART FARMERand the list is endless...of those masters of brass, who go where few mortals dare to go...and how fear-less they were and in doing so, gave us music so beautiful...who gives a rippola about a few flufferoos.
One artist today that I think illustrates his creativity and artistry like few others...he is bold, creative, unafraid...to go where mortals dare to tread..even in recorded performance and I appauld BRIAN LYNCH...for this. He however is certainly not UNIQUE in giving this above and beyond and the list is virtually, Endless.
So, If the latter was true about our beautiful Keith...HE HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THIS WORLD TO BE SORRY FOR...BUT TO BE HONORED...and as of the 13th, joins his wonderful colleagues for a celebration like we just can not comprehend....and all that jazz.