The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26


 a dreary day. From the beginning pent- up emotions of joy have found vent in song, and in the earlier celebrations of the nativity of Christ, we find warrant of tradition for the elaborate festivals of harmony which the Christian world has for centuries associated with this sea- son of seasons. and which today are peal- ing forth from thousands of human hearts
 ''Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" Christmas Morn.'' What Child Is This?' Good King wenceslas," God Rest You Merrie Gentlemen" "Bethle- hem!'' How the very names Of these noble and time-mellowed carols and an- thems strike hallowed music on the chords of meniory
 In view of the prominent place that music occupies in relation to Christmas tide, l have asked some of the leading musicians of Birmingham to contribute & thought in my symposium today, which they have very graciously ione and which gives me great pleasure to include under this beautiful subject.
 MRS. TRUMAN HERBERT ALD-
 
 RICH, JR.
 The music of Christmas tide has always seemed to me so entirely different from that of any other season as to be judged by another standard Ordinarily a musi- cal criticism reduced to percentage basis would be something like 10 per cent suit ability to the occasion;" 90 per cent d. vided between worth at composition" manner of presentation" and ability of executants.'' The personal side of the music one hears at Christmas seems of far greater value than the purely tech nical one and for it one formula must needs be amended and reads more like 60 per cent genuine Christmas spirit and enthusiasm and leaves only 40 per cent to divide between our musical items.
 Viewed from this standpoint of altered valuations we do not find our full 100 per cent in the great churches of the great cities, where the music, though beauti- full in itself. represents merely a part of the regular work of the well trained, well paid choirs; nor need we search for it even in the inspiring productions of the Messiah which are given the country over at this season as being pe- culiarly fitting and appropriate. They, too, are a part of the regular business routine of the artists who give them and though in them we find our 40 per cent
  cent?
 There arc villages where Christmas eve finds all who can raise a tune" as- sembled, ready to sally forth when 12 o'clock comes. and sing gladstone carols before the homes of all In the town who cannot sing for themselves. Christmas afternoon the tiny tots of the community after the miracle of "the tree' has been made manifest, lift up their childish trebles and led by the anxious fore finger of the Sunday school superintend- ent sing with joy the hymns taught them by their mothers. All is spontaneous, freely given and an express of genuine feeling.
 Beautiful singing dealt in as a commodi- ty is music" sweet to our ears for 364 days in the year. but only that which is free outpouring of a rejoicing heart on this one day seems to me to measure up to the 100 per cent of Christmas music"
 MRS. OLIVER CHALIFoUx.
 The picture that comes to my mind of the glorious Christmas tide and music is that yonder under the setting sun is the little city, turned white and gold. it's shadows to royal purple. for 1t Is to harbor this very night the King of kings. Soon the stars creep out one by one. Such splendor as burns in each one! But one star brighter more splendid than the rest. The star tn at Is to lead the wise men to the cradle of the infant King. the star that is to take the shepherds from their f1ocks.
 Here they come from the hills chant ing jubilantly, their hearts too full of the glad tidings to be expressed in mere words. They must needs be enrolled to fully convey the extent of their great joy
 The angels lowering over the stable are heard singing like a soft summer zephyr.
 Gloria in Excelsis Deon'
 The air is vibratin with the sounds of sweet music-the glad tidings are whole wide world must burst forth into beautiful song!
 MIR FRED l.. GRAMBs.
 It Is generally believed that the "unisoni" made of the early Roman and Phrygian melodies where employed by the writers of the Greek theorist Clarianus time now positively estab- lished is the fact that their melodies where not of this mode, by what rules of harmonization and by which they differed with the modern, we know not. The great masters of the lyric and dramatic poetry of this time. however, were also the masters of musical com position. Pindar and Aeschylus of tliis school not only wrote poetry, but also set these to music, thus tho contrast of the present day, libretto by one, the music by another. Wagner of the modern school emulating the forms of Pindar and Aeschylus in this respect, hence the perfect interpretation of text by the melody The organ manifests the great changes more than any other