Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-30
rEusic and MUSICAL Conventions.

musical conventions in Rutland county,
which, as far as it goes, is correct &C
cording to my own recollection. The
first convention, he says, was holden in
Castleton in 1914, under the direction OF
w. G. Benton and l.. S. Rust. Then,
be says, the choirs came together as
choirs, sang their own music, conducted
by their own leader. After this, the
convention would come together, as
grand chorus under the direction of
chosen leader" He also tells us that
the second convention was holden at
Pittsford and the third at Castleton-
that at these conventions were such sing
ers as Judge June, DR.. Cook, J. B. Will
lard, B. w. Burt, Milo June, Rachel
Sanderson, Harriet Andrews and others
named And then he says, the fourth
convention was holden at Rutland under
Mr.. Baker, "when the distinctive trait
of choir singing was dispensed with,
and d" from this time conventions were
holden in many towns in the county by
such men as Woodbury., Bradbury,
Perkins and host of others, but they
have failed to produce thatimprovement
in church music that the choir conven-
tons did, although it is very pleasant to
get together in a convention and sing
music that you will never see or hear
again with professional singers, yet it
fails to produce the beneficial effect
which a choir convention will.
The recent convention at POultney
seems to have prompted the article writ
ten by your correspondent, and the bur
den of it is, after giving the history of
our musical conventions, to show that
church music in Rutland county has de-
Perforated and "become second rate, by
reason Of a change from the choir con-
ventions to conventions of the character
more recently holden.
am not ready to concede that there
has been any deterioration in church
music in this county in the last twenty
| five years, but on the other hand | claim
there has been progress. am quite GER
tain that there has been an improvement
in this section of the county. | think it
doubtful whether now we have any such
vOcalists as Milo June or Rachel Sander
son, but | believe that the majority of
| our singers are better educated in the
science of music than they were twenty
five years ago. True | have not been
about the county and given the attention
that subject that l did twenty-five years
ago but | form my opinion from attend
;Drr Tho rana1+ aud fcrr,,ar conventions
holden at POultney, which were quite
numerously attended by singers from
this section of the county. And | have
no hesitation in giving it as my opinion
that the singers attending these latercOn-
yentiOns showed better discipline in the
science and principles of music than the
singers of former days. | believe in
" choir conventions" am sorry they are
dispensed with, and wish our friend
would effect their revival; but singers
should be drilled-eduCated asyou would
educate boy or girl at a public school,
and think that the singers of this day
Cat least in this vicinity) show much
better discipline than they did in the
DAYS of Benton and Rust.
Your correspondent says he is glad
the old fashioned singing school is start
ed again" Singing schools, if of the
right kind, are just what we need but,
for one, | do not want any more of the
" old fashioned" ones. They answered
a good purpose for young folks to come
together for a frOlic. but usually were
useless by way of discipline or proper
cultivation of the voice. But if we can
have schools where proper instruction
will be given, the more of them the bet
ter.
The Normal music school, holden at
POultney the last two years, six weeks
at a term, by Professor Perkins, comes
up to my idea of what a singing school
should be- 1t may be said, and with
truth too, that such a school can come
within the reach of only a comparatively
few. Very well, come as near to it as
you can-at all events educate the sing
crs as they should be, and not have any
more of those jollitication meetings for
the young to come together for play aud
frolic and call such singing schools.
| have no desire to provoke contrO-
versy with your correspondent, but
simply to express my own views upon
the subject introduced by him. and hope
the effect Of his writing and my own
may be to call attention to an important |
subject.
ANOTHER LOVER OF SACRED SoxG.
POultney, Jan. p, 1878.
DEATH OF HoN. OSCAR L. SHAFTER.-
Hon Oscar L. Shaftcr, who had been
out of health for some years, died at
Florence, Italy, on Thursday Of last
week. He was a native of Townshend, /
but, after being admitted to the bar. lie
commenced the practice of his profess
sion at Wilmington, where he remained
until the spring Of 1865, and ranked
among the best lawyers and advocates
in eastern Vermont. In 1854, after the
passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, he
was nominated at the Wing State CON
yention, which assembled at Rutland,
for Lieutenant Governor, as an abo-
htionist, on the ticket with Stephen
Royce, a Wing, for Governor. Having
previously, however, made professional
arrangement with the law firm of
Peachy, Park & Billings. of San Fran
cisco, to remove to California, he de
clined the nomination, and Governor
Fletcher, also an old Liberty party man,
was substituted, for him, on the ticket.
The same year he was elected to the
Legislature of Vermont and served dur
ing the session, taking prominent part
i'll the debates and the laboring oar in the
judiciary committee. His professional
success in California was great, not only
rich pecuniary rewards but,
after one defeat, elevating him to the
Chief Justiceship of the Supreme Court
of that State. His brother James Nc. M.
Shafter, was formerly prominent Yer
mont Wing, and for a time, Secretary
of State of Vermont. He subsequently,
removed to Wisconsin and was candi-
date of the Wing party for member of
Congress, but, being defeated at the
polls, he soon after removed to Cal1for-
MIA, preceding, we believe, his brother,