The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-12-06
A Large and Select Audience at the Y. N.
c. A. Amusement Hall.
lTHOS. WHITNEY suRE1TE's LECTURES.
He Delivers tho First of n Course OF
Six Iccturcs..To Deliver the Second
Next Thursday Night, when Book
mud Handel md Church Music Will
he Discussed.

Hall OF the Y NJ. c. A. last evening.
Many prominent ladies and gentlemen
were present and large number of
musicians gave an artistic impress to
| the evening.
| The lecture was illustrated by n mu- |
steal programme presented by Mr.. j. ]. |
Miller. accompanies; Miss Mary K.
| Ewell, soprano; Miss Lalla Williams. |
| alto: Mr.. C. S. Marble. tenor, and Mr..
G. II. Williams. baSSo.
! BY way of introduction. the lecturer
outlined the plan of University extern
sion to furnish the higher education to
people who had not time and opportu-
nifty to get 1t in any other way. The
Society has OH Its staff University men
who are specialists In their subjects
! and these lectures are sent to any city
| or town where enough people can be
gathered together to form what Is called
II Centre" The lectures are in courses
of six and each lecture is followed by
class" for which the audience Is in
vitcd to stay. In the half hour class
the lecturer explains certain things con-
nected with the subject and gives a
short practical talk on various phases
Of music study.
After the second lecture, which Is
largely devoted to sacred music, he
gives few moments to the discussion
OF church music and Mr.. Surette be-
lieves that radical reforms are necessary
! in this department OF the art
The lecture last night began with the
birth of the nrt of composition In the
twelfth century, and dealt principally
with the schools which grew out Of that
and which gave us the charming Madri-
gals and Glces of Italy and England, tile
old dances OF France and Germany, and
the intricate and wonderful music or
the early Italian religious school. of
which Palestrinn was the browning
glory.
The lecturer does n good share Of his
talking while seated at the piano and.
playing as he talks. let's you, as it were,
into the secret of the thing he Is play
ing. He gives you bit by bit the diff
fcrent melodies. showing how they are
treated and what new thing each man
added in order that as each lecture
comes on the audience may see how the
wonderful operas, sonatas and SYM
phonies which have come down to us
MS classics came to be and how the
composers worked.
The Art Of Listening" Mr.. Surette
said. rs almost unknown among people
In general. yet some preparation for
nearing great music Is absolutely for
dispensable to it's appreciation. To go
10 hear Wagner opera, or a Beethoven
symphony, or even a sonata-In fact, to
go to any kind of an entertainment
where great music is to be played with
out studying the compositions before
hand, Is n waste of opportunity
IF you go to see q great painting"
the lecturer continued, you can sit
IN front of 1t and study It. but great
musical composition passes before yo,,
like q Kaleidoscope view and YOU ONLY
yet confused and indefinite impress
sion from It.
"A great piece Of music has to have
FORM, as much as great building or n
great painting does and some STUDY
OF that form (on the reason given nCoyei
is necessary If we are to get ANYTHING
like the great message ii has for us
The lecturer showed In the simple old
Elarpsichord music which he plnyed
how the ideas had birth, which even
tually dominated the form of the soma
tn and symphony. The ouaintness of
some OF the old dances he played added
n Erent charm to the evenings enter
| tatnment. Many of these Mr.. Surette
FOUND In the course OF his researches IN
other countries. and they are quite un-
known to the general public He plays
them In the old manner. using the pedal
very little ana getting the simple style
OF the period with admirable effect
IT was an age of simplicity" he
| continued, the poetry of the time
| shows II: life was simple: there was
none of the striving and ycarninc after
the unknown which chara cterizes our
restless civilization-men lived peace
| tullE: there was more sweetness and
tranquility In their existence. This is
I'll mirrored in their music Listen to
these lines" said Mr.. Surette, they be-
long to the sweetest English madrigal
eyer written, Sec what quaintness
there is in them; note the utter lack OF
the imaginative quality which modern
poetry Is full OF. They are by Richard
Edwards. who also wrote the music
you are to hear"
In going to my lonely bed,
| as one that would have slept;
heard wife cry to her child,
That long had moancd and wept
/ She sighed sore and sang full sweet,
| To lull the babe to rest
| That would not cease. but cried still,
Upon Its mothers breast.
She was full weary OF her watch,
And wearied with her child
She rocked 1t and rated it,