Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-31
FAVOR BOY CHOIRS.
a Feature of Discussion at the Meet
ing of the Music Teachers.
SOME PLANS FOR INSTRUCTION.
Quite Number of Papers Read Upon a
Variety of Subjects.
10 MEET IN PITTSBURG NEXT YEAR


PHILADELPHIA, Dec 3O-Music in it
educational and practical sense is receiving
healthy impulse from the meetings of the
Music Teachers Association now being held
IN this city, the opening session being held
yesterday and the closing one being ar
ranged for "Wednesday evening. This three
days reunion of music teachers car
hardly tail to be of practical
value in bringing the music talent
of the State into closer com
murion, and in making the people who fol
low the profession strain after higher mean:
OF tuition and more perfected methods o
study and application. And not only i:
this being achieved" said a once famou:
prima donna to the reporter, but thest
meetings hiring together and make known tC
each other members who were known
only by repute. 1t also gives them a chance
10 study the methods OF different schools by
giving practical illustrations of style. treat
ment and touch, which otherwise they woulc
only have known as theories
The Opening Ceremonies.
The opening session of the convention il
Association Hail was presided over BY
president Wolsefer, Colonel 0. c. Bosby.
shell, who had been invited TO preside, be
ing prevented from attending by reason of q
death in his family Mr.. WolSieifer's open.
lng address was a happy one and ad'
vised the formation Of a tourists
society and the holding of the annual conyen'
tiuu> during the summer vacation period. Il
was followed by an address Upon Past and
Present Methods of Teaching" by
FroL kocheTsperger, which was @ ol
IT, Walker H. Palmer Reed and Miss
ETA Il. ( .rle as commentators. Prof. Thomas
A. Beckett and Alexander Pachman also spoke
upon subjects pertinent to and springlng from
tie theme of musical culture iii the public
schools, and DR.. Ward spoke on the subject oi
exercise for pupils A very interesting muSi.
Gale wound up the mornings session, IN wnIch
,le chaTmlngly cultured soprano voice OF Mrs.
Agnes @. Naille was heard to advantage
shaded and supported BY The piano music OF
LuWari Morris.
attractive by an admirable programme of piano
1uU>lr selected so as to bring out the power,
scope and value Of the )ankO keyboard, the en-
lire recital being rendered by Paul De Janko,
5le inventor Of the board. The best and most
trying themes of Weber. Bach, Chopin, Schu-
teri aud Wagner had been selected as the test
pieces. But apart from all question as to the
merits or dement's OF the new system, the re-
CItaI was a treat because it introduced mas
JeTly manipulation in high class music, and
Showed him TO possess a dehcacy Of touch and
a perfection OF lingering which would have
stamped HIM as an aTtlst under any lnstru.
lIgu-sl difficulties. He has perfect command
't ans manipulation; has sympathy as well as
ant and tenderness as well as expression.
The advantages of the siX-banked keyboard
are SeIi-evideat, and the first of them is that IN
playing the most difficult passages the hands
are always in a natural and easy position and
the under thumb work becomes simple and
1anIle Uniform lingering ard easy gliding
from The highest to the lowest banks is assured,
WaIle The possibilities Of complications IN eX-
'guton are reduced to minimum, while the
power. volume and value OF the instrument is
augmented,
= Hittsburg Essayist Absent.
To-day, in consequence of the absence Of the
first cssAyist, Mr.. Beverdge Webster. OF Pitts
burg, Dr. Hugh A. Clarke read Prof. Michael
II. Cross paper on Musical Criticism" In this
dccumeIt it was held that while criticism may
h- keen Ii should be kindly. Cases were cited
in winch the works of Mozart, Hummel and
others were rated as humhugs by writers who
ms set & 1sse , oE sT p9Tng Tv,g M ap9uS @ uslc'
Mr. Frank Carnell, of Williamsport read a
paper on the Organization and Training OF
BOY IhuIrs.' At the outset he said that the
nu- 3D.. r-s will soon be the church choir of the
l'ra-es..ut Episcopal and Roman Catholic
q uT.las. lie opposed mixed choirs, and for
S,la.. poor churches. suggested that the organ
D. --Cull be sent to an experienced choir mas.
-. for instruction. after which he or she can
v l.-r the necessary instruction. It is eS-
3u..al tGat the choir master shall be com.
auc to lead ana guide the boys in learning
;lI1n the singing. While he should be IN sole
charge tie cSsayisL would advise that all clergy.
yuel be taught vocal mGSIC.
The aS>Ivlst declared that these boy choirs
are objected to by some as being Romish but
arD really modern; by others that they are
"Ii-h church, but they have nothing TO dc
.lu the purely ecclesiastical divisions of the
church 1t has been held that the bows arc
HIs IschIevOus. nut, if they be well behaved in
church, who can sing so well? There is no sci
rule for the organization OF boys choir, but
Mr. CarneN would suggest proportions OF L
sopranos altos. tenOrs and bassos.
An Agitation of the Subject
He thought good would come of the use Of
10y choirs. and be earnestly advocated an agi
ration of the subject. Prof. Zobonati opposed
rle use of any instrument except the tuning
FORK. The organ or piano leads to ear singing
Prof. Carnell said he only favored the instru
lnent for tone building. Prof. Batchellel
-aaughr the instrument helped the inward
s-r5NIh OF music. Vocal music can be acquired
Terv well WITHOUT the piano, but the instrument
IS often a l. Help, and a very pleasant one to thu
children. The discussion was brought to {
close 10y the remark of a member that out Of
9l5 churches and chapels IN this city possibl,
..'IF - have boy choIrs, SO that the matter i
r..Ie In embryo.
The question of selecting place of meeting
Tor the next annual session of the association
.s.s taken mp anu PittSburg was selected unan
lmOusly after assurances that the Iron Cit,
would extend hearty welcome. The matter
OF lndOrsiug the establishments of a piano
-aners' bureau was considered and the neces
sIty and advIsability of such an institution wa!
acknowledged, provided it be entirely under
tie control of the association. The subject wa
hot finally acted on.
= musical recital followed, Miss Margarets
Ncvins, of Catasaqua, singing CoSta's II vii
EE1ol Thee . LOrd,' and Gilchrist's Heart,
Delight" In the absence of Mr.. C. E Hefflev
of PittsburG. Prof. Constantin Sternberr ot
tins city, took his place at the piano and ner
formed Grieg's Seventh Sonata" and Iiszt':
'RhapsOdie Hongroise." At the afternoon ses
SION there was 4 song recital the soloists beins
Miss Lille NJ. McCabe soprano, of Philadel
phia, and Mr.. Otin W. Miller baritone. of York
pianistes. Miss e. Webster, of Pittsburg, anC
iiIss Il. r McCabe, of Philadelphia