The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-12-21
Singing Revival Needed in Paw
Paw.

To state that Paw Paw needs singers
is supeIfiuous. Ministers and all others
who have need of singers are fully aware
OF this.
good choir, members of which can
sing anthems and hymns readily and
we'll, and who can be relied upon to re-
main together for year or more, is al
most an unheard of thing now, and has
been for several years past.
Thirty years ago in Paw Paw there
were good choirs in every church. Pro
lessor Cook lived here, and every winter
he taught singing school in which we
learned toi read music by syllable as
we'll as to sing by word. He also had
chorus class in which we were taught
the more advanced work anthems cho.
ruses, glees, etc. Besides the chorus
class and singing school, he had under
drill male quartette, a mixed quartette
and several pupils in voice culture. The
different choirs were chosen from those
who belonged to the chorus class and
singing school, and were under the di-
rection of some good leader, who had
been taught by, Professor Cook, or was
co-equal with him as director
Choir singers were in abundance, then
because there was a musical interest,
and because there was competition
among these singers to become members
of some one of the different choirs. No
one here who is a lover of music and
who lived in Paw Paw at that time has
forgotten the choir led personally by
Professor. Cook in the +. w. Baptist
church.: There!were l6 singers, each of
whom washable to sing music of the very
best class. One who attended the Bap-
fist church in those days was sure of
hearing well rendered anthems, as we'll
as a choir that led inspiringly the whole
congregation in singing the hymns.
Today we have no singing school, no
chorus class, no male quartette, no mix
ed quartette and was going to say
no choirs. Why is this? Is there not
as much need of choirs and of singing
la various other ways as there was 30
years:ago? Is not singing just as much
part;of worship today as then? If so,
why don't we have tY
One may answer, 1--WE have no Profess
sor Cookiihere now" Granted! Still
something can be done, and something
should be DONE We cannot have choirs
without singers, and we cannot have
singersi without Eproviding the means
necessary to.makeIthem. / have found
the same conditions existing elsewhere,
and feel sure it is due to the passing
away Of the singing school. To be sure
we have music taught in the public
schools, but. unfortunately, few of these
teachers of singing are drill masters
This work, however, is good as far as it
goes, but it is strictly elementary. The
pupils do not get the kind Of drill that
makes chorus singers.
That which is needed is Paw Paw, as
we'll as in every other town, is the re-
turn of the singing school in which the
pupils are taught, not only to read and
sing music by syllable, but to sing cho-
ruses in finished way under the direc-
ton of competent leader.
/ would like to suggest plan to rem
edy this Let the churches of Paw Paw
contribute $50 or S25 apiece toward a
fund which shall be used for the pur-
pose OF making singers. With this fund
100 or 125 dollars, the services Of a good
competent, energetic instructor could be
secured for ten days or two weeks
drill in singing. At the end of this mu-
sic convention one or more concerts
could be given, the proceeds of which
would pay part, at least, of the ex-
peuses. Let there be a good rousing
convention once or twice a year for a
number of years and instead OF begging
people, too often unsucc essfully, to
help in the choir. there will be sing
ers begging to get into the choir
We need a singing revival the musical
interests need to be aroused and kept
stirred up until the demand for singers
is fully supplied.
| would suggest that the ministers
get together and agree upon concerted