Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-03
DISCUSSING INDIAN MUSIC
O ngrsss of Musicians Listens to Som
Interesting Explanations.
fillmore OF CALIFORNIA ON THE TOPIC
Talks of the "Hnrmonic Basis of In
dian Music" ard illustrates His
Lecture with Reproductions of
Songs of War md Peace.

Some interesting studies are seen in the
constantly increasing attendance at the
musical congress at the First Congrega-
tlonal church. Women who are teachers
and students predominant at the day ses-
sions. Indeed few men are among the spec
tators. But it is at the hour of r~ecitals
and at night when Wagner or some other
great composer is being interpreted that the
worshippers come out and during the con-
oerts become oblivious OF all else.
In a quiet way the visitors to the con-
greas yesterday morning who participated. in
the program felt Ike sending the Omaha
weather man a symphony Of thanks for the
shifting. cooling breezes and the clouds fur
nished. The First congregational church
was pleasant and cool. The audiences
had the pleasure of hearing studies
IN Indian music and harmony.
During the forenoon John G. Fill
more, Of Claremont, Cal, who has devoted
much time to the subject of the harmony in
the music Of the semi-savages presented to
the auditors an illustrated talk on THE
Harmonic pasis of Indian Music" 1t was a
discourse out of the ordinary, and was well
received. Mr., Fillmore discussed interest
ingly the principles of the music of differ
ent tribes of American Indians, showing, by
the use Of the piano, the characteristics OF
their songs of war and Of peace. The talk
was mostly of a technical nature, but the
speaker invested 1t with much interest.
Primitive Man and Music.
One of the questions raised by the study
of primitive music is, What direction does
the voice take when making melody spon-
taneously ?" This was the main scientific
point raised by the speaker, who proceeded
- $500 - II......A- thn p,,htAnN hy yrnntf
cal illustrations. He said that while it is
OF course, impossible to obtain any data
from the primitive man of thousands or mil.
lions of years back, it is possible to obtair
music in a su1lcien'iy primitive stage to en-.
able us to draw trustworthy conclusions
He gave examples of the songs of the Ma.
vajos, which form the connecting link be
tween excited rowling and excited singing
the quality of tone being more like a yell
thar anything else, while the intervals pro
duced by the voice are Enthusiastically thos'
Of the major chord.
The point was made that whatever thes
people do mast necessarily be perfectly nat
ural and spontaneous, the voice following
the line of least resistance in accordance
with universal law. When, therefore, W,
find savage races making melodies, a larg,
percentage of which contain only the ton,
OF a major or minor chord, while all bye
tones introduced invariably belong to chord
which stand in close relation to the chort
of the keynote, we are justified in the in
duction that a natural perception of tn
harmonic relations of tones, however din
and obscure that perception may be, is tn
shaping, formative force in folk melody
This point was illustrated by copious ex
amples from the songs of various tribes an,
rappS and The statement was made and ON
phasized that out of many hundreds of folk
songs studied by the speaker from numerou
aboriginal tribes all over this country AM
from numerous European, Asiatic and Afri
can races, as well as those of the Soutl
Sea islands,, not one has been found whicl
did not serve to exemplify this Fundamental
principle.
In the afternoon the subject of India
music was treated at greater length and i
an attractive manner by La Flesche's In
dian class.
The soloists at the fifth recital this morn
ing were Miss Mabel Crawford, contralto c
Chicago, DR.. Albert Ross Parsons of Ne
York and A. ]. Wallace Goodrich, organis
of Chicago. Mr.. Goodrich is comparativel
new to western audiences. but has made hi
mark east. He was introduced by LOU
C. Elson, who predicted for him a CLOWN
future.
The attendance at the afternoon session {
the congress yesterday was fully represent
tative and worthy of the brilliant number
that graced the program. The church wa
comfortably filled with a distinctly music
admiring crowd and there were features @
the program rarely excelled.
The Scientific Phases.
A symposium of echoes from the primev
forests and the camp of Poor Lo-the pr,
decessor of the Industrious white race thi
now occupies the land between the gre
lakes and the Pacific ocean-was the then
that was attractively presented in the afte
noon. There was an exhibit of Indian mus
with the folk lore melodies of the Omahi
and an exhaustive address treating on "Tl
Psychic Aspect of Indian Music" II w
the result of years Of work and study al
careful investigation into the lives of Il
Indian tribes, and many interesting poin
were brought out by Alice c.. Fletcher, Il
author.
She was assisted by Prof. John C. FIJI
more OF C%lairemont, Cal, and Francis |