THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG, TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1919. IT WAS FINE: PERFORMANCE cs. pass through out hands, none is so ROTARY CLUB HEARS SCHOOL dreaded by a keen teacher as the dull, unresponsive boys and girls ORCHESTRA AT LUNCHEON. who never brightén into interest, who never produce am independent idea. schools Want Or- Enough - Teachers PAGE TWELVE : -- 3 MUSIC KEPT A MAN AWAY), "0 sommes meu i . | Stugers Should Be Able to Play the Piano Teo. started to take | 4 woman was overhe to gsk per little niece the other d: 'No,\ broke in the little 3 mother, X\ Dorothy is going to OT a AE a, [ oEee-- a Te 1AT( COULD NOT STAND THE ING OF THE IE DEUM. PLAY. "Havé you I lesgons vet ard y We all long for pupils who show some spark of originality or imagina~ So Many U.S. tion, and sometimes we know not by chestras That Beauty Is Only Skin Deep, Even In sl adly he wishes it did put him to Musie~~Get the Spirit of the Te Deum. : g People are not always as ingenious in other directioms as they are In finding an excuse do absent them- selves from dourch. Cue man of the writer's * acquaintanoe finds that about twice or three times a year be cannot bear to go to the morning service of a certain Presbyterian church beeause the choir thers is to gig, "We Praise Thee, 0 God, Dykes' Te Deum. This man says he cannot stand the Te Deum. It is too monotonous, tgp long, too un- musical, and it either puts him to it gets on this nerves so sleep. Perhaps he is partial to what the old Scotch settlers once called "new "hit tinklin' anthems o' the Metho- diets." Perbaps he is, though he mever expressed himself on that; but he did put Bimself.- on. record about an emphatically as the King's English permitted, his opinion of the Te Deum, The poor misguided man! He thinks because he has heard the Te Deum twice and didn't }Hke it that it is a worthless piece of music, «And so when it is planned to use this selection, a friend in the choir tips it off to him and his seat is vacant, .,, whose only ambition for publie|t0 the next - Sabbath. mworning., He judgesby one hearing. He forgets to remind himself that beauty is only skin deep, evey in music, If this party has an ear for good music and a genuine musical appre- ciation all he needs is to be tied in his pew every other Sunday morning for about four months and have the choir sing the Te Deum right at him a0 long as they sing it well. The "unison parts which look so easy to sing are in reality not so easy. But they are rich passages, 'The relative "Father of> an infinite majesty: "Thine hononable, trie and only son," ete, followed Ly = the contrasting barmony is a most finished part. The male unison choruses "We there- fore pray Thee, help Thy servants' and "Vouchsafe, O Lord to keep us, to keep us this day without sin," well sung by a goodly array of men, are indeed telling parts. Get the spirit of the Te Deum, Hsten sympathetically, hear it often enough, and you wii get to the att!- tude of mot merely tolerating it but of actually looking forward to it per- fodically. If you know of a new-comer to your, church who is a good singer tell the choir leadér about that per- L80MN. : | J singing layer on when she get s $0 we won't bother with piano le sons The as this is by no means rare is reason for taking time to' correct al false impression To not "bother" | with piano lessons beeause of the In- | tention to study singing later is al short-sighted policy .A child who, | from says 7 or 8 years on, has studied piano or violin has a better equipment by far for launching out into voeal lessons than a child who has not. A grand opera singer -in advising | on this very peint, said recently; "Al girl who desires to be a fine singer must not start her vooal lessons too young. She should not even be] singing much at sixteen or seventeen years of age, but should wait until] she is about eighteen. But those early years should. be well used learning much pidno, for a singer | should be able to play the plano too." i The statement that "singers | should be able to play the piano too" | is practically lost if the redder reads into it that the advice is intended fori professional soloists . The chief in. tention is to commend the statement to the ordinary choir member, the! erson who sings for her own and her immediate friends' pleasure, the per- 4 fact that such a conversation good appearances is 'in the drawing room or loedl concerts by amateurs. School Music Supervisors Discuss ot Popular Music, Democratic questions intrude in high placés, At'a recent conference of school music super- visors there crept into their discus- sions expressions of opinion on the introduction of ragtime music' into the singing in the schools, Some went so far as to recommend an ex tensive use of the popular music of the day, while others stoutly fousht for its total exclusion, 'Let ragtime alone and don't get clear down into the mire," said one speaker. 'Men, are singing these songs in camp and they are being sung in our homes," sald another in defense of the popu- lar music, "and I think the better type of popular songs that we have at the front and in the homes should be used in the schools." Finally the discussion boiled down' to finding out a standard by which popular music might be judged. "No one wants ragtime music,' concluded sometimes oné of the sijpervisgrs, '"the only ob-| jections taken are i a low standard instrumental music in of judging popu music. We can use the best' of without having a general use of ragtime in the schools." | bone, | those Cannot be Found. "If any of you have not sjarted instrumental music in the schools of your eity, don't fail to give it consideration; 'because it is a great thing," said Dr. Hollis Dann of Cornell University, with emphasis when recently addressing a Can- adlan audience. 'Those men and women In osr country' who are looking for things to help the boy, may be assured thaf there is no- thing you ean do for the boy that will help him more than to interest him in this," continued this educa- tionalist. "I find that if a bey is inclined to be wild, you get him in terested In a violin, clarinet, trom- 'cello or drum, and he will go to rehearsals religiously." Explaining how the instrumental music in the schools worked out in his own eity, Dr. Dann said: "For only three years the instrumental ¢ide of music in the. &chools has been jp operation, and to me the Te sults achieved have been very won- derful, and I attribute them to the power the children have to read their music, and their feeling for tone and rhythm, so that the violin teacher does not have to stop to teach them +o read it, as they ean read and sing what they are going play before .they start the violin, For three years there has beeh a school orchestra for the first eight grades, and several violin elasses in each school, In the. high school whick" has now begun to he fed by tifose grade schools, there is an or- chestra of fifty pieces and a band of thirty-five pleces. Now, this or- chestra of 50 pieces has simply as tounded the musicians of the town, and especially those of us who kuow what it means, and the parents are simply taken off their feet, "1 recently attended a Club luncheon in the high school, which. the men thought was the greatest luncheon they ever had. it was prepared by. the domestic science girls--they said it would spoil them for all the hotel lun chéons after that--and the pusic was furnished by the bamd d or- chestra. They started out\with the overture from the Bohemian . Girl, and they rendered it in such a way, as brought tears to the eyes of men, who were taken off their feet with theSway those fifty little boys and girls perférmed that night The tone and style they had was marvelous. "It is a wonderful movement this the .schools, 80 great that we cannot find teach- ers" fast enough now in the United States to supply the demand in the cities that, want to put it in." Rotary No hints of avy kind were given but every child was pledged to make an attempt. . and ail had chosen 6-8 time, the reas-p but I think they show that imagination and originality." of ten children are musical after his failure in Russia defeat was due to the Russian wint- served. a small ple¢e of campho kept in the what meéans to strike that spark. "Might not music furnish that means' A dull elags in my. own school was asked the other day toy write a melody to 'Hush-a-bye baby." All broggnt their melody on being that you could tock better to it. One child brought a charming melody writteh in a minor mode, apd when she was asked why she chose. the minor rajher than the major said, 'oh, hecause it 18 so sad and dreamy --the major is so bright and jolly and would wake the Laby up." These may be smal things in themselves, music taught in this way does stimulate the The apt and practical illustration furnished by this héadmistress of a London school is too important th be tabled. It ought to stimulate similar attempts, Littie Lilts The tone of a piano depends large- ly upon the fineness dnd regularity with which 'it is tuned. ' 5 " It Is on record by St. Augustine's own confession that he was convert- ed to Christianity solely by the divine power of music. s Considering the fat that nine: out rhat a rdship musical. declared hat this sad commentary on one ste it is that so few adults ap Napoleon is said to hav erand the Russian Army music, The musical army knows no defeat, Sehool orchestras are a coming thing. Children of special talent or inclination for any particular in-|! strument must be encouraged in the public if material is toy be furnished tor high school oréhegtris, The music of the early church services was of a purely vocal char- acter; but it is mecorded that in the year 180 A.D., the flute was used in chanting the Loid's Supper. The telt in the piano hammers pro- vides a favorite home for moths which may do mgch damage unob- A 'housewife suggests that piano and renewed occasionally will prevent moths from hanging around. "When a critic in my country has to write about the music of a new composed," states a Russitn mugi- cian who has come to America; "he considers it a somewhat serious mat- ter. He makes it Qi usiness to learn all he can about that music, in the first place. Then he calls upon TAREE EE aster Whegk DEMANDS MIUSI strument in the home. to put an IDEA one. : wherever it is established. - It makes the réjoicing at wo It is an occasion that was first ushered in by Music, and it has ever since for nineteen centuries been com- memorated principally by music, Easter week is an ideal week to instal a musical in- Appropriately, it is just as easy L INSTRUMENT there as an ordinary' "AN IDEAL PIANO The Williams New Scale Piano completely satisfies the conclusion of peace a singularly agreeable pleasure. He the composer, asks him to describe the pieces and ydhem for him. He will heap ghree--for--five times; so lie hag ry ®ood idea of their form and on 'before at- tempting to say anything about them ia print... AN this is' not too much trouble for the clentious eritic, for he wants, te, g he best possible review in' ls' rn" But this barty does not seem to. think the same method applies on this contin- ent, go Ja each normal school of Japan the ¢hildren haveto learn singing, harmony, theory, and either violin organ or piano. In thé girls' high school singing, piano and harmony must be taught. In the boys' high the same studies are enforced up te the third year; the fourth year they can choose. The younger genera- tion does not analyze what music is Occidental and what Japanese. They think ~ the translated text of "Suwanee River" and some especialy ly attractive Irish BONgs ure of the} fine tone scale Japanese songs. Like~ wise, many French, German and Rus- sian are considered 'native songs. IM believe in ten or twenty years the old Japanese usic will be naturally combined with the modern Occiden- tal and that the result will be inter- esting. --XKoscak Yamada, Japanese conductor and composer.! + 3 I ' The Conn tion Between Sheep And sh Plano Tone, eep, you know, have a good dea to do with good piano tone. 8 ho peat requisite that a person demands in al plano is good tone, To secure the right quality of tone there is more ng upon the lanocent looking little. hammers than one is apt to think oftha Take for instance the hammer-felf,. the substance that strikes the plano strings thereby pro- ducing a certain tome, The prime requisite In making the hammers is the wool It must be cut from live Sheol: of. teiied ol from the} os 8 «mo good for felts because wool ic that is dead and cannot be revived. Even after), fhe best "lige of wool are cleansed of grease and all foreign matter th 'have to be revived by blasts of wot air. basic wool of hammer-felt is} ---- The tone of the Williams New Scale captivates and de- lights. There's a rippling sweetness or a massive tone at the will of the player, and its quality grows on you the more you use it. 1 this 5 te an More Alert And More Responsive. "In one particular school of which I have recently heard, the teachers of other subjects are always anxious to have the children immediately after their music class as they in- variably find that they are more alert, responsive and alive." This Is a pgeuliarly telling endorsement of the value of music study in the schools found in an explanatory toot noté in one of thé chapters of Stewart MaePherson's little book, "The Musi cal Bducation of the Child." The conclusion. that Mr. MacPher- sou "has reached in this connection' may perhaps be briefly summarized in this paragraph: "I would in all earnestness ask those responsible for the curriculum in our schools to seriously consider, if they have not already done so, a readjustment of musical activities such as will afford every child the opportunity of gain- ing those foundational musical ex- perietices which are his undoubted birthright. *1 do so with all the greater con- fidence since it 18 an acknowledgéd fact that, when properly carried out, olasswork in music having for its object thé training of the ear, and the development of the child's appre- " jelative powers has most certainly the effect of stimulating the mental facul- ties of those who take part in it and, 28 a result, of improving the standard of work in other departments." is aspect of the value of music in the gchiools is only a confirmation of the judgment of scores of others 'who have put music to the test. They find that after a period of music such as singing, or listening to the render: ing of good music by other means, the arithmetic, history or geography lesson that follows is received in a much more intelligent and enthusi- astic way. If you wish, we will make the purchase an easy mat- ter by arranging suitable terms. 4 Te INSTRUMENTS IN ONE The true companion to our-leading Piano is a NEW EDISON. With it youhave at your command the grand- est compositions by band or orchestra, chorus or quar- tette, and magnificent solos, both vocal and instrumen- tal, all perfectly re-created. You get the Music just as fine and of the same quality as though presented by the artists themselves. 'We demonstrate for you at any time. Our favorable terms make it easy to buy an*Edi- son, and add this never-failing fount of entertainment to the home, = - SERTRE -. . 4 Entertains Can you imagine anything more dull than a party without music? : Music fills the breach always. ~ It doesn't matter much whether it's the piano, the Player Piano, the Phonograph, the violin or any other instrument, so long as there is Music and plenty of it. These are the days of "welcome home" parties--the days whigh the victorious soldiers are returning to every a in Canada. Welcome the boys with the __music.> Meet them at the station with the 'band. Put their favorite records on the ph. From out of every domestic ee Music Stimulates Thought. The effect of music upon the physi- eal, mental and spiritual life, is prob- ably the most commonly recognized result of music study, and it is doubt- less hecause the influence of art as a refining agency is so palpable that educational ¢heorists have always in- cluded music in the ideal course of study. The effect of music is sub-| The basic wi tle but unmistakable, and its powers | merino, which has a long silky fibre, to stimulate high, exalted thoughts, | the main of Somes from phos la asacie Sxseragut Tek Rr sortal in and le 'strains of wel- | emotion e, together en- soft quality, however, portal in the land let the strains of wel en a ly however: ~~ coming music swell the breast of every coe responsive so athet varieties of { ia give It the Idier wi i i ! emotional appeal, would alone give "18 in this blend 301 : : With happiness and joy. it a large place in a scheme of educa- : . ) ic Week | : tion whose ideal is to bring about the Canada'sMusic Week is now on. Every- non le tentment and high morality on the |ex) part of the greatest possible number | Music fills the breach always. It doesn't matter . much whether it's the Piano, Player Piano, the Phono- graph, the Violin, or any other instrument, so long a The ; a : as there is music and plenty of it. at