Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-01
The High School.

Newark, N. J., Compliment to R New
 Haven Institution.
 A late item of the Newark Daily AdUe1tiser contains an article from B. c. Gregory, prin- cipal of one of the grammar schools in that city, in regard to the New Haven High school, a part of which is as follows: "On Jast Thursday Mir. Barringer, superintendent of public schools, accompanied by James l.. Hays chairman of the High school commit tee of the board of education and the writer, attended the graduating exercises of the New Haven High school. It was a visit full of suggestion. A High school building worth an edifying spectacle to Newark eyes. In this spacious and elegant building are located also the offices of the city superintendent and the board of education. On the upper floor is hall capable of seating 1900 people and here the commencement exercises were held. Tasteful festoons of evergreens hung from the chandeliers, and growing plants were placed in various parts of the room On the platform were seated the Board of Education, the Superintendent, the Mayor of New Ha
 ven, Governor of Connecticut and visitors. In the front centre of the hall were two hun dred of the High school pupils, the gradual ing class being nearest the stage New Ha- ven, by placing it's handsome and handsomely dressed graduates on the floor instead of the stage misses tableau which Newark annual ly enjoys. It is a mistake. Members of boards of education are often good but not always pretty. One fact which came to the writer's notice is too enthusiastically Ameri- can to be omitted. On the stage sat Gov. Bigelow, and in the audience man for whom he used to work at nine dollars week.
 In New Haven the High school provides the whole programme. There is no band, the pupils furnish all the music. This was the feature which drew the delegation from Newark to New Haven. And this Is the fea- ture wh 'ch justifes the present article. In New Haven is to be found as the writer be- lieves, the best school music in the country. Boston does not approach 1t. On the pro. gramme were eight pieces of music, all of which were sung in four parts. Here is 8 list of pieces which our Newark High school the peer of the New Haven institution in every other respect, could not prepare with I, Q years practice: Happy and Light" Balfe ''fhe Marvellous Work" Haydn; "Jack and J1ll,'' Caldicott s'Festival Hymn," Dudley Buck; ''Infammatus" Ros sini Damascus Triumphal March," Costa
 Austrian National Hymn," Haydn. Ordi narily, criticism the rendition Of such works by young g;raa4a singers would be aimed GG tue uif0cIUf WHO SelSCCSQ such difficult music. If a high school executed the music tolerably we'll it would deserve grest commendation. In this case, however, neither singers nor leader needed this charity The school sang accu- rately and with distinct enunciation. Their expression was excellent, the crescendos, sforzandos, slurs and sudden pauses being executed with the skill of practiced singers. The tone was full and exceptionally sweet, or1 ba of ba hoc tho youth of the singers, remarkably sonorous. The tenor part was taken by female voices, and of course was sung an octave higher than it is written. The effect produced by this arrangement is peculiar but singularly sweet. It resembles somewhat the impression pro- duced when quartette for mixed voices is sung by male choir, the second tenor sing ing the alto at it's true pitch.
 Jack and Jill' is a very hard piece of mu- sic. It was rendered with the precision of quartette The difficult progressions and close harmonies of Bucks ''Festival Hymn" were equally well handled. In the ''Infam- matus'' the subordination of the chorus to the solo displayed an intelligence not always found in adult choruses or in experienced choristers.
 The fact underlying the whole exhibition is this The boys and girls of New Haven read music. There is nothing accomplished in that city which could not be accomplished l In Newark. Fifteen minutes day are spent | in every class in the city in teaching music. The exercise in common with | others is under the direction of the | class teacher. The whole is under the | charge of Prof. Jepson, instructor in music, who visits the schools periodically, teaches in | the classes and assigns the work to each class to be accomplished before his next visit. This systematic process begins with the six-year- old children and is continued to the end of i the High school course. This system is made | doubly effective by the extraordinary skill of | Prof. Jepson as 9 teacher. It has been the | fortune of the writer on two occasions to &C., | company Prof. Jepson ip his tour through the | schools; no one can listen to his instruction without being convinced that in whatever subject such ability was applied his success would be equally brilliant To such excep- tional facilities is to be added progressive | system of music text books. The result is that the pupils of the New Haven schools all read music The system has been in opera tion for seventeen years Annually, large | numbers of young people, excellent readers of music, leave the schools and enter society, exerting wherever they go an influence in favor of musical culture. Thus 1t has come to pass that New Haven is musical city. Excellent music is obtained in any gathering with but little effort.