Gilmore’s plans again showed his genius. They were bold, well conceived, but very costly. He went to Europe, and “talked the crowned heads ” (that was the popular phrase) “ into letting their crack ” military bands come over to play in the Jubilee. He obtained the band of the Grenadier Guards from London, about forty- five strong, under Dan Godfrey; a German infantry band, about thirty-five men, under Saro ; and that of the Garde Republicaine, from Paris, of about fifty-five men. It was said that this latter was reinforced by fine artists from the opera, and was not therefore a fair sample of French bands. There was also a little insignificant band, the Royal Constabulary, from Ireland.

These bands had an English day and German, French, and Irish days. The English band was good, the German, too brassy, the French, magnificent . The latter opened with Meyerbeer’s “Torch-Light Dance” ... and won instant success. They had a double quartette of saxophones, four fagotti, a double fagott, and some very large tubas: and the total result was so round, full, and soft, that all musicians were captivated with the deep diapason volume of sound. Their performance of the William Tell overture was superb.