THB GOURIER
sli.iuld indicate tliat the reform spirit
should be held in check unless the re
former has the mental and moral
strength to keep his feet on the
ground when fame comes.
EASTER 1901.
KATIIAKIXR M. MKL10K.
(For The Courier. )
Graves where the quiet sleep ,
Sending their voiceless cry ,
Not for your clods we weep
Under the Easter sky,
We who are standing with lillies at noon,
We whose chambers no mattock hath hewn
We who have yet to die .
Graves that have sent to us
Darkness and dearth and tears ,
Graves that have lent to us
Sorrowful length of years,
Out of your fathomless caverns of woe
Vaken the voices the seraphim know ,
Calling to mortal ears.
Speaks for we bear, today ,
Waiting beside the tomb ,
Watching the place where by
Heavy, the seal of gloom .
Speak, for tomorrow the hurrying dawn
Calls us again to our journeying on
Unto thy restful room .
Graves of the deathless past ,
. Giving us back again
Only the loves that last
Unto the hearts of men ,
Keeping the weight of the pitiful clay
Deep in thy merciful bosom for aye ,
Thine is the great Amen .
SHARPS AND FLATS.
EMILY UCIW1TS.
In view of the recent appearance of
the Marine Band and the approaching
season of local band concerts, we are
tempted to consider again the question
whether bands should attempt to render
music originally written for stringed in
struments. Director Rollin "W. Bond of
.York, whose extensive and successful
experience with bands enables him to
speak with authority on this subject, ex
presses the following opinion:
"I certainly do consider it within the
scope of the concert band to successfully
perform the higher forms of music.
AVhen I say thie I have in mind a per
fpct instrumentation for the perform
ance of the work mentioned. The
band is too often referred to pnd con
sidered as the "brass band." This is
not the band I have in mind, nor even
3 the military band. Marshal or 'Held
music' is usually bright and sparkling,
a id calls for a predominance of braes
and percussion instruments. Yet the
military band is incomplete without a
good representation of reed instruments,
which are usually confined to clarinets.
But the concert band with its complete
quota of flutes, oboes, bassoons, bass
clarinets, saxophones and great pedal
basses permits of a far greater Bcope,
and makes it practical to perform com
positions formerly played only by the
large orchestra. In addition to the
usual instrumentation of reeds, the in
troduction of the above instruments
and the proper manipulation of the deep
pedal bass brings out the great organ
effect to a marked degree, and the en
semble ia pure, full, round and deep,
with an entire absence of the brassy
effect that usually characterizes the
band. I would not undervalue the braes
instruments; they are very necessary,
but the percentage must be small.
With a wind orchestra, such as I have
outlined, the lights and shades of any
composition may be properly treated,
and there ia more than ore concert band
in this country that is demonstrating
this assertion today.
It must be remembered that many
of the standard scores were written in
another country than the one in which
we live, and the wind orchestra of to
day waa unknown to many of the mas
ter composers. The wind orchestra is
young. It is only in the more recent
years that the great practical improve
ments have been n.ade in wind instru
ment?, especially in brass; and the
rapid strides in the manufacture of
horns is responsible, in a large degree,
for the consequent advancement of band
music in general. It is my opinion that
at no distant day the wind orchestra
will be looked upon as as great an ex
ponent of the classics as the ctring
orchestra.'
Professor Frederic II Pease, for twen-ty-nine
yearB the efficient director of
the Normal Conservatory of Mubic at
Ypsilanti, Michigan, writes the follow
ing in response to an inquiry regarding
the effect of free recitals on the attend
ance at paid concerts:
"As to free recitals I think there is
no doubt they assist materially in edu
cating the people in understanding good
music. That is, if the programs are
really of the best, and kept up to pure
standards. Of couree the selections
given need not necessarily be difficult
and complex and above the people who
attend, but they should be true music
and by recognized composers. As to
the effect of free concerts upon attend
ance, 1 tiink it is bad. Many who
honestly love to hear good music feel
that so long as they can get what they
want for nothing, they will remain away
when they have to pay for it. It is cer
tainly true that free recitals demoralize
the concert business. The question
then for schools and conservatories to
decide is whether tu continue free re
citals because they have a refining in
fluence in the community, or to discon
tinue them because they ruin paid con
certs. I incline to the last provision,
though my practice ia according to the
first. Formerly I charged fifty cents
admission to all of my concerts and had
good houses. Now I could not get a
corporal guard at that price. People
will come to a free recital even in a
heavy storm, but if tickets are to be
purchased they regret that the storm
prevented them from coming."
"Should professional musicians be ex
pected to give their services fiee of
cbatge to church and charitable institu
tions?" This is a practical point which
must often be considered by both mu
sicians and the public. Mr. Sigmund
Landsberg, the well known pianist and
composer of Omaha, expresses his opin
ion in the following words:
"I believe that to the extent that a
butcher, a printer and other tradesmen
would be asked to donate their wares
to charity, the professional might also
be asked, or rather it would be mor
ally justifiable to ask a professional for a
donation of his services. Often, how
ever, we meet with instances where the
word "charity" constitutes but a miB
nomer for more frivolous protests. The
tendency to ask professional pervices
gratis, frequently only to help out
building churches or organs for wealthy
atid prosperous congregations, should
unquestionably be curbed by an energet
ic protest on the part of professionals,
who should first satisfy themselves
whether or not they are being imposed
upon. This may be a difficult matter to
decide at first glance: they should at
least reserve their decision until they
have investigated the object in regard to
its worthiness: after that they should of
course be left to use their own judgment
in the matter."
give their mite toward arranging and
leveloping plana to induce more of the
great artists to come to us in the west.
Hearing an artist tills a student with
new zeal and enthusiasm; it brings be
fore his mind the standard of perfection
toward which he is aiming; it gives new
impetus to bis whole musical life for
perhaps months to come. Not only this,
but it broadens his general musical
knowledge, giving new ideas of inter
pretation, of tone production and of
meaning. It is some times true that
the overwrought, nervous pupil, when
listening to a great artist in his chosen
line, is overwhelmed by the thought
that he is working for the unattainable,
that such perfection is not for him; but
1 am inclined to think such lapses
of ambition are temporary and due
only to nervousness. Usually in a day
or two these students are found work
ing with a renewed vigor while still
under the influence of the artist they
have heard, endeavoring to put some of
his art into their own work.
Let me urge every student of music
never to miss an opportunity to hear a
great artist. Even though it may cost
much effort and self-denial, it is
worth it."
f
iMlltlHIIIIMMMMHIMIIIHIUM
Edited by Misa Helen 6. Harwood.
1
I
i
The true student of music, whose
ears are bo often tortured by unmelodi
ous tunes and rag-time ditties, is often
inclined to ask the question: "Is rag
time music better, or worse, than no
music at all?" Director Willard Kim
ball of the University School of Music,
says: "In answer to the above question
I would say that we can hardly imagine
what this world would be without any
music at all. It would indeed be a sad
and dreary one. One in which we would
lack a most inepiring incentive to good
works and noble living.
Any music which conforms to the
laws of harmony and which evinces a
natural aptitude on the part of the
writer of the composition is not to be
discouraged; therefore, while rag-time
music does not appeal to the higher
musical sense, I have no doubt that it
has its place in the great literature of
music."
"What is the effect upon music stu
dents of listening to the great artists?"
was the question asked of Miss Ella
Clark, teacher of music in the Peru
Normal college. Said Miss Clark in re
sponse: "The effect is bo immeasurably
good that I wish ever teacher and pro
moter of muBic would feel it a duty to
The miesion of the critic is a noble
one, and one seldom appreciated either
by performers or audience. True criti
cism is the mirror in which the sincere
student may see both his faults and his
excellencies faithfully reflected . Dr. J .
H. Tyndale, speaking on this subject,
hits the nail on the head when he says:
'Professional musiciana prominently be
fore the public should be judged by an
ideal standard aa to technical excel
lence and gradations of expression. The
latter need not correspond to the inten
tions of the composer, usually an un
known quantity, but should be the
output of individual temperament and a
musical soul. Quality of tone is every
thing. Quality is the soul's speech.
Pupils of conservatories (piano dis
ciples as well as vocal votaries) should
be encouraged. The beet measure of
criticism applicable to them is found in
the three A's: ambition, achievement,
assertion. The first two should be fos
tered and the latter frowned down a
neatly as possible.
Should a sharp line be drawn between
judging of professionals and amateurs?
Yes and no. The word "amateur" cov
ers a wide range. A musician once out
in the open, professing the ability to be
heard by an audience, is subject to crit
icism with the good points in technical
execution and conception strongly ac
centuated, and followed, not preceded,
by the pointing out of faults.
"Nothing extenuate, nor set down
aught ic malice."
tMMIMMtllMUMMMI IMII III MMli
New Legislation
We thank the Legislators and congratu
late the State not forgetting to felicitate our
selves upon the new Library Laws. This
most gratifying achievement was largely
due to the efficiency of the committee in
whose hands the Federation placed thk im
portant work. Another measure for all
around congratulations is the Compulsory
Education law, formulated by the State
Teachers' Association, endorsed and foster
ed by the Executive Board of the Federa
tion. Truly our first efforts have been
crowned with success.
Henrietta L Smith.
Arthur Jack has had another quarrel
with Maude.
Fred (Jack's rival) Confound that
fellow. He'll get her jet.
Collegiate Alumnae.
Among the societies organized and
conducted by women, none combine a
higher ideal with more practical meth
ods than the Association of Collegiate
Alumnae. Organized in the eighties,
its membership, now considerable, ex
ceeds two thousand women graduates
from the most advanced colleges in the
country.
The required qualification for mem
bership is very high, and is so strictly
enforced that only within the last tvu
years has our own university been ad
mitted. It is believed that a body
which assumes to stand for the highest
educational attainment should demand
from its colleges the best educational
preparation. And while the rule neces
sarily operates to exclude some indivi
duals very desirable to the Association,
and has brought some severe criticism
upon the leading spirits of the organiza
tion as exclusive and aristocratic, it
appears to have been on the whole ad
vantageous to the Association.
Among the members of note are the
women most prominent in educational
work throughout the country. Some
liko Doctor M. Carey Thomas and Alice
Freeman Palmer are, or have been, at
the head of college administration, many
only a little less widely known are col
lege professors and teachers, and all are
more or less actively connected with
some phase of educational work. They
are women of the most practical turj of
mind, the highest purposes, and the
broadest culture. '
The Association employs a paid sec
retary and issues its own publications,
the latest of which is ' the Magazine
Number for 1901, containing papers on
college entrance requirements, school
ventilations and present needs in educa
tion. It also supports a foreign fellow
ship open to young women graduates
of the recognized colleges. These are
the features of its activity which nat
urally atlra:t most attention. They
are far from representing, however, the
sum of its efforts. Of much greater im
portance is the work it inspires and
directs in its branches, for it is the
heart of a system of local societies ex
tending from Boston to San Francisco.
Branch associations exist in the larger
cities and in some smaller townB that
are educational centres. Nebraska Uni
versity is one or the latest admitted of
the twenty-two colleges now recognized
by the Association, and the Nebraska
branch has a membership of over fifty.
It is in the branch rather than in the
General Association that the ability and
influence of the individual graduate
ount. It ib here too that diffeiejtia
tion of the work results from the need
or meeting local conditions. The beet
idea of the scope and variety of the
work undertaken i'b to bo gained from
the reports of the different branches.
Practically all report inquiry and dis
cussion of matters relating to the public
schools, the methods of instruction,
school curricula and school sanitation.
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