Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-02-16
The New England Conservatory Of Music

The New England Conservatory Of Music.
BosroN, Mass, Jan ~, 1898.
pear friends III ht .imrtcun
In these days when so much attention i
being given 10 the education OF the youu Z
In arts and sciences, perhaps you would
Ike 10 hear a little about one OF the great
schools Of this country and Of the world.
| refer 10 the New England Conservatory
Of Music situated In Boston.
Being settled as il was by the Puritans
and occupying the important place it did
during the Revolution. Boston holds a
warm place in the heart Of every New
Englauder But when we walk the streets
trod by the grand men and women who
founded our country and see the buildings
where some Of the great questions Of the
times were decided, our hearts are filed
J anew with admiration for the sterling
worth Of our Puritan ancestors
4 In the old part Of the City the streets
wind in and out in perplexing way,
showing that the city grew from a small
/ nucleus and was not built In day as some
4 Of our Western cities seem % have been.
4 The Old South Church. now 10 the
midst of the whirl of business life, amo-,
involuntarily turns our minds back to the
/ day Of the Boston Tea Party" The Old
1 North Church brings to mind Paul Revere
and his daring ride which Longfcllow has
immortalized. The tower from which the
/ signal lights Mere displayed on that event
+ ful night is stil standing and the interior
4 Of the church il practically the same now
a. then.
| Ever since our early school days the
I ideas Of Boston and Boston Common have
/ been iuseparably as-oclsted in our minds
4 but not until later In life did we learn that
1 the Common received its name because II
was once the common pasture for the
town. Directly opposite the Common i
| the old Granary buryug ground 50 called
/ from the granary which stood on the
I present site Of Park street church, and
/ here lie the ashes of three Of the siguers
OF the Constitution, John Hancock, Samuel
Adams asd Robert Treat Paine. There
/ were many characteristics in our Puritan
1 ancestors which we admire, but none more
/ than their love Of liberty and education
| and with pride We say that Harvard Il
nearly as old as the colonies themselves.
4 From that time till this Boston has been
center of educational interests Here
are the Boston University with its branch
/ colleges, the Institute Of Technology, the
4 Art Museums, schools Of oratory and
music besides many private schools and
I the city schools.
I The New England Conservatory, OF
! which | want to write particularly, was
| founded in 1870 BY Eben Tourjet Mus
| Doc. In the twenty years Of its existence
/ It's growth has been almost marvellous.
During the school year Of 1891 and 1892
there were over fifteen hundred names en-
rolled on its lists, coming from many
foreign countries as we'll as from all parts
of our own. A large proportion of the
students are ladies', about three hundred
and hfty Of whom board In the Conserya
tory Home. The Conservatory offers
many advantages which other schools dc
not, because the Home and recitation
rooms and the hall-the gift Of the Hon
Jacob Sleeper-being under the same roof
| ba taHi
and Inconvenience arising from the neces
sity of crossing the city several time:
during the day and evening. OF course
many have relatives or friends in the city
and prefer to be with them, but one car
judge Of the popularity of the Home BY
the fact that it is full all the time. Every
thing possible is done for the comfort anC
safety of the girls. The safeguard:
against fire are excellent. There is resi-
dent physician in the Home and the youne
ladies are strongly urged to take at leas
an hours exercise in the open air or in tn,
gymnasium, daily. There are also classe.
in gymnastics.
1t is needless to say that the teacher.
are fine musicians. Were they not, they
would not be here. Lessons are giver
both in classes and privately, the number
in the classes being limited to four excep
10 the theoretical studies when a large
number is admitted. Many prefer privat,
lessons, but the class lessons are highl!
recommended by prominent musicians
because shyness is lessened In a grea
degree, if not banished altogether, th,
student is spurred to greater industry ant
style of others.
In this age of specialists the studen
often neglects much that is theoretica
and cultivates only the fingers or voice q
the case may be. and at the end of tn
course Of lessons may be able to play o
sing correctly, but without understanding
fully what he is trying to express. Tn
management of the Conservatory having
this fault in mind, have arranged serie
of lectures on musical questions Of inter
est to the student which are given ever
week and also for a course in musica
history given in weekly lectures. Once
week the pupils give recital and Q
Thursday evenings recitals are given b
different members of the faculty whic
the pupils are urged to attend And the
besides these advantages which we ca
enjoy at the Conservatory there are thos
which one always finds In . large an