Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-15
DECEMBER
Our Musical Jrtatus, 1900.

/ Our Musical Jtatus, 1900, X
It Is not with a heart exactly bound
Ing with Joy, or a pencil sharpened with
delight, that / chronicle the true stat
us OF things musical In our community
at the end Of the nineteenth century.
True If merely glancing at the progress
made during the past fifty years Tor
even fifteen years., the brdseye view
would be such as TO gladden. the heart
OF any one whose whole ambition had
lain in the musical welfare OF COM
munity as 1 think mine has, and does,
In ours. But speaking Of the condl-
| lions at the present time without ref
erence to the long past, he must humbly
confess that today, and for two or more
years back, It Is and has been the day
Of the low ebb Of sdyersity-the dark
hour Diet us hope), before another dawn
"a reawakening to our great musical
mission and possibilities.
THE TABERNACLE CHOIR
10 begin at the top. our one and only
GREAT musical organization in
numbers, in aims and character Of work
the wholesome, serious. most elevat-
Ing Kind Of music. 1t Is in compare
tive sense Notwithstanding It is yet
magnificent organization OF over 300
capable, fairly faithful members),
neglected, wilted, plant, bearing its
precious flowers with difficulty; the
more or less faithful servant Of a more
or less united twenty-four wards, Il is
generally neglected, by ALL, and prao-
tically opposed by a majority Of the
wards It is called to serve three Sab
baths In the month"; and this for the
unavoidable 'ohense,' that its existence
saps certain amount Of nutriment
from each ward, where its roots extend.
in the shape OF one night a week. TO
rehearse and a sabbath afternoon 10
sing at the joint service, on the part Of
the few singers selected to serve in 1t
"a few only from each ward) 1t seems
that these singers are 50 useful locally.
that no others can take their place
even Tor the work In their wards, sual-
clenty 10 spare them for this extra
duty "a compliment to their ability and
lalthiulness perhapsJ Both the Presl-
dency OF the Church and of the Stake
nave instructed US In the past that such
as were selected for the Tabernacle
choir should consider Il their duty 10
attend 70 this missionary labor, like all
other missionary work. as OF first i'm.
portance. Not neglectIng their ward
duties when this work did not require
their time. But lh ibelr zeal against
the choir, some have gone so far as 10
question the right 81 the First Presi-
dency TO so advise ana instruct. Others
question that we have been so instruct
notwithstanding that President Jo-
seph f. Smith met with the choir, and
read TO us those Instructions, and they
We're subsequently, printed and copies
siyen the members.
mention this matter at length be,
cause II Is the first and most potent
destroyer or our progress, 8s indeed a
lack Of sympathy between q master and |
ward authorizes rise above the policy
OF merely desiring their own in- |
diyldual ward 10 excel In music |
however praiseWorthy that may be-. /
and realize that the united uplifting /
OF the whole community unsteady, viii |
best serve them individually In the end: |
not until each ward will take a pride |
In furnishing It's quota 10 sustain and |
make one glorious musical organiza- |
ton that can preach a louder and. per- /
haps, more general convincing sermon |
TO more people every year than four .
times the missionaries they all furnish .
to the outside world at great sacrifice
and expense could dol repeat not UNI
I'll this condition OF things reaches us
can the Tabernacle choir become what
IL ought TO be. the worthy standard
bearer OF a refined. poetic and idealistic
community the fOuntainhead Of its
musical progress. Il cannot exist and
advance IN opposition 10 the element OF
which IL is composed Of whom, and for
whom It exists. Anything short OF the
best choir We can have, including the
best musical material in the Church In
this city, is a libel upon our inteni-
gence and ability, every Sunday we ap-
pear before the congregations Of mixed
friends and strangers. They do not
go 20 the ward meetings. even II the
choirs there were better, which they are
not and never win be on the divided
policy line; It is IN union that we must
find strength In this as in all other
things For the permanent welfare Of
each. the ward and Tabernacle choirs
ought 10 be so closely allied that like a
tree and us branches. the one Is simply |
q part Of the other.
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
As might be expected when the
head is not at its best, neither are
he lesser members
our Harmony club Is no more. our
'Orpheus Club" Is almost silent. We |
AVE no choral organization of any
ort. comic opera Is even mapping.
hose seriously inclined in music will,
lerhaps not regret IT, as musically.
nything that places the clown or the
luffoon on a higher plane than the
niger is not the ideal OF musical prog
ess. Indeed charming as II Is for a
rinng pastime. II is a very serious
nisleader In the musical Advancement
I a young community Just as the
audevllle or the burlesque is I'm the
ramatic line II Is almost impossible
or an individual. much less a commu- ,
Ity 10 be a true ardent admirer OF
Ioyt and Shakespeare or Herbert and {
Wagner al the same time So congrat. z
late sincerely the admirers OF Daniels {
nd Nielsen, and their operas" (7). on :
aving escaped "Lohengrln," such a !
ommers8ult would have broken their q
ecks-whatever It might have done to q
heir purse strings,
EDUCATIONAL y
We notwithstanding great gem i
raj progress as the years 20 by-not {
] the most wide awake condition pos d