New-York tribune., 1898-12-25
MUSICAL MATTERS.
THE WEEKLY CALENDAR-A MUSICAL
ART SERVICE-SHALL THERE BE AN
AMERICAN FOLK-SONG SOCIETY,"
THE DEATH OF s. r. MILLS
NOTES. PROGRAMMES AND

French opera. Romeo ell Junttte [tHei %"
Grand Union Hotel p s, M business mee,ns Na
tonal Association.
wednesday-Metropolitan Opera House 40 p; M M.
German opers pie WalRSre rayeFweba,ner ef nbone
the American Folklore Society.
THURSDAY astoria lllo a. T coI MT Baf BafS
SIS p. m. concert by Albert Gerard Theirs:
sa4oic Of c6amber music by the Adamowsk Quartet
Of Boso1 st. M Waey ChuTsh ae &r R B5rs }rse
stems studio, Carnegie Hall. s;l5 p. m. cham
Der concert of the Morgan String Quaret
Hs BY ,bg o4sdfa s0seS
Metropolitan opera House, 7:45 p m, German
opera. Tristan und Isolde.
0''Seqnsn GERMAN cpeTa Iohsnsrin m italian
opera. La Traviata1: Carnegie Hall sI5 p ?;
Oraiorio Society: No 126 West Sixty-sixth-st.,
10 a. m. lecture by Hannah Smith
The writer Of the letter which was printed In
this place last Sunday urging that public service
he sung In church edihce by the Musical Art
Society has acted on the suggestion contained in
The Tribune's comment. ard promised 10 pay $50
toward such service The name Of the corre-
spondent is withheld by request Here is prac-
teal step made toward carrying out project which
might he fruitful Of results. For several years
number Of wealthy church.nen maintained choral
society for the single purpose OF giving two or
more services each winter. Much less money
than the Church Choral Society cost would insure
q series Of church services by the Musical Art
Society which would ambitions. and
might lead TO the restoration Of higher type OF
music in the churches OF Catholics and Protestants
alike The matter is commended to the serious at
tention Of Mr. Damrosch and the leading spirits OF
the Musical Art Society. Meanwhile The Tribune
will be glad make note Of all subscriptions to the
fund started by our correspondent.
The eleventh annual meeting Of the American
Folk Society will be held in Columbia tniver-
si,y on Tuesday and Wednesday OF this week. in
connection with the second winter meeting OF Sec
tion II (anthropology) OF the American Association
for the Advancement of Science. At the afternoon
meeting Tuesday. In Room No. SOl, Fayerweathcr
Hall. there will be a demonstration Of pnonographc
records Of Indian song by Miss Alice c. Fletcher
Dr. Washington Matthews. DIR. Carl Lumholtz and
DR.. Franz Boas.
1t is more than probable that the question Of the
organization OF an American Folk-Song Society will
be discussed the meeting mentioned in the pre-
ceding paragraph Acting suggestion made
in The Tribune last summer In connection with the
founding Of the English society. OF which Lord
JIerschen is president Mrs. Edith Kent Develin.
Of this city. has undertaken interest IN
movement which shall have for its aim the noting
and publication Of negro songs and other musical
products Of America. She addressed a letter some
weeks ago to number of ladies and gentlemen
interested in folklore asking permission TO affix
their names to a circular calling for the organiza-
tion Of an American Fol.-Song Society With two
exceptions the which she received gave the
project enthusiastic approba ton, though nearly all
The members Of the American Folklore Society
urged delay till the feasibility Of extending the
work Of that body into the proposed field could be
discussed. Among those who have given their un-
qualified approval to the work on the lines proposed
are j. Walter Fewkes. of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton: George Bird Grinnen. Editor Of Forest and
Stream" and student Of Indian customs and lore.
Charles F. Lumms. Editor Of The Land OF Sun
shine Professor Charles J. Edwards Of the Uni
versity Of Cincinnati compiler Of a volume Of Ba-
hama songs and tales: William Beer. secretary OF
The Louisiana Folklore Society and E. Francis
Hyde president OF the Philharmonic Society Of
New-York Others who wish see the work done
but are inclined believe that there is sufficient
agency already in existence in the American Folk
Lore Society ar, W w Newell. secretary Of the
society; Miss Alice Fletcher. who has done such
admirable work among the Omaha Indians; F. W
Putnam. professor IF American archaeology and
ethnology at Harvard University and curator OF
the Peabody Museum: DR.. Franz Boas OF the
American Museum of Natural History. in this city
and Colonel Thomas Wentworth Hgginson one Of
the earliest workers in the field Of slave music IN
America.
The following extracts from letters received by
Mrs Develin will be found interesting and sugges-
tive Mr.. Lumms writes:
Few have had occasion % feel ca b,,te,lv IN.
ewiftness with which folklore and folk-muslc are
passing forever from cur country and the stolidty
OF Americans toward these things in the peculiar
mode o. travel by which have learned something
OF the United States and other American countries
J have come In contact with the negro Spanish
Indian and English folk-song and foIk-tale and
have collected largely in Spanish and Indian All
are passing: but | venture to state my conviction
that the society should put Of to possibly IN
time" the Indian contingent. our negroes are pro
Inc, and nave no reservations. They will last. and
with them the mass Of their folk material The
n
other twenty years there will he hardly vestige
left Of the lncaleulaole wealth Of song and legend
more scnolar'y nation could have preserved | feel
justified in saying that in no other direction has the
projected society so imminent and irreparable need
Had such a society existed even TWO years ago and
given TIE modest s help that John Comior, Fillmore
Of songs that VIII now never be recorded. There
are thousands more that Will be $ irreVocaby lost
with no longer delay than five years
J. Walter Fewkes writes from Kearn's Canyon.
Arizona:
am greatly interested IN the preservation Of the
religious songs Of the Pueblo Indians | am work
ing this winter on the ritual OF the Hop Indians
whose songs. Ike their ceremonies. are OF in
large numbci OF them on the graphophone. and Will
be be able iaier to repeat them on my return East.
rounded IS. ! believe. practically unmodifed by
Aryan influences and II energetic efforts made
small erpcnse. In a few decades however. 1t VIII
be TOO late These songs will vanish with the cere-
monies which viii soon disappear. un.ess the songs
are rescued now they VIII be lost forever
Miss Alice C. Fletcher writes:
The proprety. might say the necessity. foy the
work proposed has long been clear to mo. l hailed
hoped il might stimulate similar undertaking in
% "gr oW country my am aS well aware Of the wealth
French. Spanish and Portuguese variants These
Perhsps am more conscious than others OF the
1f1SSeedinsy rich & and almost unknown field which