The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-01
lthat tteY undertook 10 sins, and they an

know 1t.
1t Is impossible for any one who does
not love children to accomplish much
| witll them, and they are very quick 10
| know their friends, and will stick to them
| in q truly wonderful manner The love
OF a child is a, priceless possession ana
| although. as they grow older. they Will
| discover many imperfect!ons In their in
structor that they did not see when
/, children, yet we all remember HOY last
ling Impressions are that We're made on
us in childhood, and some spark OF
Friendship, however small. will remain
| through life.
have been working with children for
many years. and I doubt If there is
| man in our goodly city who has more
| staunch friends than i for my friends
I are the children, and who can say where
| their influence ends?
One of the strongest arguments for the
/ existence OF the childrens chorus Is
/ that you can interest SO many people
| through their children who could never
\ otherwise be reached.
Who can resist children? Was there
ever any sight prettier or more inspiring
than that mass Of two hundred and fifty
radiant and happy faces in a sea of
| white as they entered heart and soul
! into their Joyous SONGS?
4 Our matinee performance has grown
from a very tame affair Of few hundred
attendants before the organization of
!: the childrens chorus to packed house
4 of intensely interested listeners, and in
cdentally its receipts have also increased
nearly one thousand dollars, since the
4 children have been singing
Then again. who can estimate the
value of the chorus as n training school?
Instead of every addition to the adult
! department of the club being a raw and
inexperienced singer, we are now begin
ming to draw from the ranks OF our
Junior chorus and many members are
( coming in who are already trained and
accustomed to following director and
/ are, therefore, much more valuable.
! And not only is the club the gamer.
1 but the city at large also. There is
! scarcely a church choir of prominence in
| the. city that does not number among its
most valuable members some former
! member of the chtldren's chorus, to say
( nothing OF the effect on our Sunday
schools and the home life that the must
4 cal training of the children must have.
| Our children's chorus has achieved n ma
tional reputation and wearc constantly
receiving inquiries from all over the
United States, from Maine to California,
| and even from Canada, asking for infor-
| nation as to our methods OF training,
| our programmes, &c. The Springfield
Mass. Association this season practically
\. decided to send a committee to Richmond
4 to hear the, celebrated children's chorus
Land only decided not to do so because
they said that they had no one to train
! the children even lie this chorus proved
| to be the wonderful one II was reported
to be, Our artists and orchestra. who
travel all over the country, state that
this branch OF choral work Is unique and
is to DO found nowhere else, but In our
city.
Naturally this great success Is highly
gratifying to the director, as arc also
tie numberless kind expressions from
enthusiastic friends, and offers much en-
nouragement In this Very difficult. but
happy. work
love children and this work with
;ncm Is one of the greatest pleasures of
my life. hut there Is also many a heart
ache connected with It., Even to-day
have been TO take farewell look upon
the silent face of one of my children, who
jins worked with me for many years,
from a little child To grown girl or
eighteen years, Just budding into noble
womanhood and who to-day has been
called away and enrolled in that ALL
glorious and perfect chorus above. Our
children's chorus is u great aud import
ant branch of musical education and
should receive the support OF all public
spirited citizens, as we'll as lovers OF
music, and its power for good should not
he limited as it now is, for want OF q
hall large enough to accommodate the
children who desire to enter 1t,
WALTER G, MERCER.