Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-01
FRIDAY MORNING CLUB.
Sounds Relation to Color and
Harmony.
Obstruse Topics Well Handled by
Essayists.


Essayists.
The Clubs Guests-Mrs. joys Paper
Mrs. Tolhurst on Sound and
Harmony The Art
Academy Matter.
The guests of the Friday Morning
club last week were: Mrs. j. l.. Briggs,
Ventura Mrs. J. NJ. Studebaker, South
Bend, Ind. Miss Wolfskill, Santa Mon
lea; Miss and Mrs. Masters. Phoenix,
Ariz. The morning was under the
charge OF the science and metaphysics
committee, with Mrs. DIR. Fay as chair
man. The general subject, Sound in
Relation to Color and Harmony, was
most admirably treated in three papers
by the members of this COMMITTEES.
The first paper was presented by Mrs.
W. II. Joy. Mrs. Joy had prepared
very fine colored chart Of the solar
spectrum, which she used to illustrate
her theories. She said astute minds
had given lifetime to show relations
between intangible elements. The laws
which govern in the realm OF atomic
nature infringe or overlap each other,
so that following out any special
line OF research is like sep
arating pencil of light =. into
its component parts. She wished
| especially to point out the analogies ex-
two forces, air and light. Sound, a phe-
nomenon of air, and color a constitu-
tional element of light belong to the fine
realm OF atomic creation and are indeed
beautiful relationship, fair genii,
dwellers in ETHEREAL brightness. Sound
waves differ in length and rapidity, thus
producing effects which we recognize as
high and low tones; 90 do light waves
differ in length and rapidity thus pro-
ducing the effects which we recognize as
the several colors.
Mrs. Tolhurst followed with Sound in
Relation to Harmony. Mrs. Tolhurst
gave sparkling little preface to her
article, on the probable effect of 80 many
scientific theories upon the club. In
her paper she said nature had
educated man in architecture
painting and sculpture. She had no
echo for his laughter and sighs, and
! when he hearkened to her voice within
himself he evolved music. NatuIe's
sounds are not musical. 1t is their
association that gives them their SEEM
ing harmony. All our magnificent sys-
tenn of music is mans thought worked
out by himself. The music of all ma
tions and all times has two characteris
tics, the rhythmic movement and pro-
cedure by regular intervals. On the
| principle of vibratory motion the reson-
ator has been invented, and the sound
ing boards of pianos and violins are
used.
The Greek scale was musically poor,
but we'll suited to their musical decla-
nations. Later it was found utterly
inadequate to the demands of harmony.
Mrs. Tolhurst illustrated her paper
with an analysis of the three scales,
major, Greek and minor. She said
every sound in nature but the notes of
two birds is in the minor key. The
character of the major scale is its open
and cheerful, that of the minor sad and
undecided.
The last number of the morning was q
most carefully prepared paper by Mrs.
Lewis Croft, Harmony and Harmonics.
Mrs. Croft first compared noise to sound,
the former being confused and inde-
terminate, while the latter has definite
pitch and timbre. The great practical
problem of the musical world is to select
those notes which please by themselves,
and please when combined into chords
and sounded simultaneously. The
scholastics of the middle ages fol-
lowing Aristotle found perfection in the
number four. Euler, writing in the
eighteenth century, finds in order, the
explanation of conoords. Herbert
Spencer finds the origin of music in the
modulations of the human voice under
emotion.
Mrs. Croft gave an exhaustive analysis
of tone and its relation to pitch, and the
character of musical sounds, with the
elemental structure of individual notes.
| The following article on the estab-
| lishment OF an art academy was read by
Miss Louise Off, which apparently met
with general favor:
The establishment of an art academy
has for some time been fond idea with
some of our art lovers and it will be to
the credit of our culture and industry to
organize such an institution as soon as
possible. To that end number of in
f1uential citizens have pledged their
fullest support and it is hoped that the
members of the Friday Morning club
practical way.
| Ab ID Wcll hllUWA ny 6buu0uGb duu
patrons of our native Minerva, we can
boast of nothing but kind of mongrel
art whose origin and destiny is anything
but classic, and the few teachers who
aim at correctness of expression are not
able to establish the proper standard
while dependent upon the caprice of
pupils for their salaries and support.
An academy with it's studios, lecture
and exhibition hall, it's master and
scholarships, will be an advantage
which most cities of the size of Los
Angeles do not possess and which it
should be our honor to create.
We are particularly favored in our
plan by the generous offer of Mr..
Stowell, who donates whole fat Tor
several months, free of charge, to the
use of such an art association. It COM
prises the fourth floor of the Stowell
block opposite the Los Angeles theater,
and shall be properly fitted with eleva-
tor, electric lights and all modern i'm
provements. There will be sufficient
space for large and cheerful meeting
rooms TO be at the service of the Friday
Morning club, or any other congenial
societies that may cooperate with us in
our work; and as this is considered an