The courier., 1901-08-03

son, a man whom we should ell delight
TO honor, change came over the spirit
OF this work; and as he was perhaps the
best educated musician OF his day. and,
by no means an unimportant fact in
this connection. universally regarded as
such, bis influence on musical education
was deep and lasting. He did much
for church music, more than many OF
our modern church musicians. who de-
liberately pass by the rich literature OF
sacred music in favor OF the sentimental
effusions OF many OF our modern writers
and brilliant arrangements Of selections
that, admirable on the operatic stage,
are entirely out OF place in the ch hurch.
lie inspired in the younger men desire
to etudy with foreign masters. and as
teacher. composer and performer he
must ever be regarded as one Of the
great forces 10 the development OF music
in America.
"On q higher artistic plane comes next
in sequence the Festival. This has
much to commend it. but is open to GER
tain objections. IL the Festival is an
annual, biennial or triennial musical, So
called, feast" TO be followed by must
cal dyspepsia or semi starvation, it has
no reason for existence and is to be de.
plored. IL it is part of a well developed
plan OF musical education and an incl
dent in the program of the year rather
than a whole years offering, maLy rea-
sons may be urged in its favor. In a
well considered festival program works
of varying, schools may be placed in such
a relationship to each other as to be, in
the best sense. educational. The enthu-
siasm OF numbers is no small factor in
its favor. BY combining concerts it is
possible to engage artists and organiza-
tious which would be beyond the reach
of the average concert institute, were
the three. four or five concerts OF the
festival distributed over as many weeks
or months. Where the festival is not
merely big thing, but good thing,
il is to be welcomed. The two Peace
Jubilees attracted attention because
they came at a stage Of our musical de-
velopment when just this encourage
ment was needed, but more especially
because they appealed to that expan-
siveness which was at that time even
more than now so characteristic Of US.
We did not have Filipino problems to ap-
peal to our imaginations. But the IT,
fiuence they exerted on choral music
in this country was very great.
Before this time choral societies ex-
listed in many of the larger cities as well
as in few smaller towns and villages,
but the wonderful growth OF interest in
this branch of music dates from this en-
terprise. The colleges OF New England
were foremost in the first half OF the
last century in efforts to arouse an in
terest in the best music. Dartmouth
college was first in that field. closely fol.
lowed by Harvard. The Pierian Sodality
iu the latter institution developed into
the Harvard Musical association. This
organization established chamber music
concerts, founded musical library, and,
later. created an orchestra which. after
an honorable career, became the nucleus
of that Incompatible Boston Symphony
orchestra. 10 New York choral and in
strumental concerts came into vogue at
q much earlier date than in New Eng
land. aud in the domain OF church mu.
sic she was also pre-eminent. This was
largely due to the Influence Of the Epis
copal church, for in Old Trinity, the