The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-13
DRAMATIC AND LYRIC.
Zig Tag Closes up a Jagged
Engagement.
TWO OF. DALY'S OWN COMEDIES.
the Scholastic Concert Tuesday-Profes-
sOr YOunger's Exhibition

We made one of corporal's guard last
evening which sat through Gig Zag' at
the Grand. The piece affords a curious
study, as an instance of what utter rot it
is possible to have placed upon the eastern
stage if you have little money to do it
with. Gig Zag' has no plot, no thread,
no sequence, no rdison dctre, no business
on earth. and is without form and void.
How any man could be weak minded enough
to imagine it, or how any manager
could have the nerve to give it
hearing are two marvels that we cannot
fathom. AS for the people who engaged in
it, we imagine it must have been Zig Zag''
Or starvation with them, and judging by
the calibre of Mr.. Green, the cowboy and
the Italian, all the best members preferred
starvation. We feel for them when the
San Francisco critics get their knives
sharpened.
Mr.. Stephens hands us the following re-
port, intended for school trustees and par
ents Of school children, showing the pro-
gress made in music by the various schools
In his charge during the first three terms
of this school year:
"My plan for the first year of musical
instruction to the public school children
was as follows: Ito cultivate proper
taste for singing. This was done by teach
ing them suitable songs (by note), care
being taken to enter into the spirit and
sentiment of the subject; to avoid shout
ing and to cultivate smooth, musical tone;
to sing in harmony (parts), etc. Result:
AT the end of the third term we find the
children able to sing in parts in excellent
manner, about twenty nice, suitable new
songs. (When MIR. Gilmore was here, he
declared the children sang better than any
chorus of children he had met on his route
excepting those of Cincinnati Their voices
are nicely under control, their part sing
| ing" being especially excellent 2-To
cultivate conception of relative pitch OF
tones-the foundation for reading music
and, indeed, all musical progress. This
was done by taking the tones of the dia-
tonic scale Tin various pitch), and
thoroughly studying them in consecutive
order and in skips. Rasult: The majority
of all attending can either produce the tones
when called for, or recognize and give
the names of the tones when heard, and in
this way are enabled to read simple exer-
cises or tunes from sacred names, or write
them Gf given with proper care) while
listening to the sounds being produced, as
one carefully sings the same ones to them
without giving names. 3-To teach and
give practice in the two leading notations
(tonic sol ia and staff notations). This was
done by first letting the students use the
names (doh, ray, me, fab, etc., copying
and reading from both written and printed
matter in this form. Then they were taught
to transfer all this material into the staff
notation in all keys (as POSITIONS
Result-The majorityI of students can
readily copy any simple exercise from one
notation TO the other in any key, and, of
course, can consequently read such exer-
cises in either notation. Many of the
schools have learned quite a number of
complete songs entirely from reading in the
staff notation. And now that all this pre-
llminary work has been accomplished, an
other year of practice will make these stu
dents quite expert in sight reading. AT
this rate, If music was being taught in all
the schools, ten years hence would
scarcely lind young man or woman
in Utah who could not read ordinary music
at sight. Trustees will be given the
examination papers just received by me
showing the students ability to copy from
syllables into the staff notation. The sylla-
bles were given out at the school by Miss
Dean and transformed into notes on staff
in her presence by the students. 1t is short
ard simple. yet impossible to do without a
perfect understanding of the work. Though
my health has not for some time past per-
mitted me to be present at the schools, nor
do ever expect to attempt it again, Miss
Dean has in an excellent manner carried
out my plans, and l am pleased to have
thus far begun the work, and trust it will
never be permitted to drop or lag.
The School and Primary SYSTEM com
piled and published by myself, has been
the text book used, and while there are
over two thousand copies now in use in
this city, many children are hampered In
their progress by not being supplied.
Respectfully Yours,
EVAN STEPHENS.