The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-05-26
THE MUSIC IN "DIXIE.n
Memphis Scimiter.

HiN"phi' seih'NNi'
There seems to be no end to the pre-
of modern musical experts
md no reverence in them for our ira
ditions. The other day we had the
pleasure Of paying our respects to
those iconoclasts were trying to shake
our faith in the virtue of the banjo
as IA musical instrument.
Now comes such an eminent author
ity as Theodore Thomas and tells MS
that there is no music in "Dixie,"
that it is Il rag time air. a street tune.
Thomas appeared in Atlanta recent
ly with his great orchestra, and when
the audience asked him to play
"Dixie" he had the audacity to an
swer that his orchestra didn't ''pander
to lovers of street music"
Did they m0bh him? Not a bit of it.
And now comes the straGgest part of
the story. The report says that he
was thereupon presented with a lau-
rel wreath by an cX-Confederate sol
dier, who, in Offering the tribute,
spoke the almost blasphemous words:
"Some unculturcd persons have
thought there was music in "DiXie."
The musicians of Atlanta have
thought differently, and they want to
thank you for enightening them and
the general public. Take this bit Of
laurel and wear it as a testimonial Of
your noble efforts to show the masses
what true music is"
Whew!
"Some uncultured persons have
thought there was music in 'DiXie'!
And "the musicians Of Atlanta have
thought differentlym BY which We
are left to infer that the musicians o1
Atlanta and Mr.. Theodore Thomas
represent the cultured persons, an(
the rest of the world the unculture(
persons.
II Dixie is not music there is nj
music. The term is misnomer anC
myth. 1t should be rubbed off TIL,
slate and dropped altogether from th'
dictionaries. Let Mr.. Thomas and al
the other masters of technique hav'
their notions, and welcome, Let then
wear their laurel wreathS. But wher
they come to interfere with the belle
in that dear old air which has stirred
the Southern heart 81 long they vii
lind that theirs is most unprolilabl'
task-at least down this way. Out
side of cultured Atlanta, classic
Nashville aud a few other "centers,
they will discoyer that the Southern
ers' faith in the merits OF "Dixe" IA
a musical composition is Il vast dca
greater than in their competency "a
musical critics.
To tell them that the notes which
: have inspired their sons in battle ant
) urged them on to heroic deeds which
won the plaudits of the world; whicl
; have always brought shouts from tn,
, lips and tears from the eyes Of South
ern men and women; which buoyet
the martial hosts in gray on TN
bloody field and mingled with thei
' prayers aud tears and tcnderes
J.. thoughts of home and loved one
about the campfire in the night-it
too much.
If the time has come when "Dixie,
{ "Home, Sweet Home" annie Lat
u ric." "Ben Bolt" and Sewanee River,
y and the rest OF the old time tavorite
. are to be put aside as "street music,
u then it is time to hang up the har
~ and 90 to bed. The next thing W
- know some "critc" will be telling u
- that Robert e. Lee was not here
u and that Stonewall Jackson and fo
II rest and the rest of the boys dldn
(" know how to fight. And what
worse infinitely, some Southern pc
u son of ''culturc" will endorse ii
!" proposition.
y Mr.. Thomas may have made it a
= right in Atlanta, but II he has muC
y OF a Southern tour before him he hi
'o better look out.