The Washington bee., 1911-04-01
CHATS ON MUSIC AND MUSIC
STUDY.
Community Music.
By ]. Hillary Taylor.


yelpoment of the music art! What are
you personally doing IN this direction!
Have YOU a desire to aid IN this mag
are pertinent questions, and should be
nihcent wOrk-the development and
fostering of community music? These
taken to heart by each individual |
believe that a serious study OF music
history will prove that Germany, one
of the oldest and most advanced COun-
tries in the culture and progress OF
the art, owes much of her success to
the widespread cultivation of choral
music in all its varied branches. In
every community in that noted cOun-
try you find choral societies that sing
all forms of vocal compositions, from
a simple choral or glee to great ora
torios. This kind of music culture at
once lifts a town out of the common
place by bringing most OF It's 1nhab-
itants in constant contact with the
most choice inspirations OF gOOu COM
pOsers.
1t is the purpose of this talk to
awaken an interest in the study and
cultivation of all forms of choral mu-
sic, and through this interest bring
about the organization of new choral
societies in all towns and cities where
an interest in the art is manifested.
Here is good chance for the average
music teacher to aid in arOuSlng the
public interest and also to gain tor
himself greater patronage and rePu-
tation in the community in which he
or she may labor. There are several
kinds of organizations that might be
organized, each Of which would eXer-
else a potential and beneficial intiu-
enCe on the community. Probably the
greatest of these organizations IS the
"Choral Society of Mixed Voices"
Such societies should have a we'll
balanced chorus of sopranos, altos,
tenors and bassos The total mem
bership can be from 40 to 200 or more
voices.
To begin with, there should be an
alive, wide-awake conductor and the
necessary business management, con-
sisting of a Board of Management,
President, Vice President, Core
spending and Financial Secretaries,
Treasurer and Librarian. The idea is
to get a start, and let each man, wo-
man or choir director who feels they
could help in this noble cause organize
a society at the earliest possible con-
venience Do not hesitate because
there may be one or more already on
a working basis i'll your community.
The more there are the better it will
be for the rapid development of the
art in such town. You who are now
reading this chat should join the first
society founded IN your city, and give
it your earnest support. Tell others
about it, and thus build up a perma-
nent and influential society. The de-
sire to sing is all that is necessary in
this instance, as the director will be
only too glad to form class of sight
readers, who will after a short course
of lessons in the reading of vocal mu-
sic become able to take their part in
the society without fear or embarrass-
ment The director or teacher must
put aside all foolish ideas about great
voices and fine hrst-sight readers. II
IS all we'll if you can get them, but
if you cannot. get the material first at
hand, and, using your common sense,
make OF it what you may. Those who
can already read some can greatly aid
those who are nOvices III this line.
Other organizations that might be
found great uplifting factor III this
noble work is the Female Choral So
Ciety," consisting of first and second
sopranos and first and second altos.
a man or woman may be the director.
These kinds of societies are becoming
quite numerous in communities where
choral music is cherished, and are be-
coming potent agencies towards the
future advancement of the music art
Women naturally take an interest in
all that leads to culture and refine
ment, and / beg of those who have the
ability to direct and instruct such a
society to organize one in your COM
munity. For information on how to
conduct and how to select music for
these various kinds of societies send
to @. Schirmer, of New York, for his
free book on Chorus Conducting.
You will find a great helper in this
companion, and it will pay you to own
copy. WodelPs fine book on Choir
and Chorus Conducting is one of the
most helpful on the market and nc
one laboring in this field should sc
without owning a copy. Published by
Presser & Co., Philadelphia, Pa.
Begin your society on easy and me-
lodious choruses, and train and work
them up to the deeper, longer ard
more intricate works of the old and
modern masters. All great achieve
ments have had their small beginnings
The third kind of choral society that
has been found valuable in advance
ment of choral music is the Male
Glee Club" consisting of first and sec
ond tenors and first and second bassos
The Germans have in this country, as
well as their home country, hundreds
of these fine clubs or associations, and
the good they accomplish is apparent
in every community where their
healthful influence has been felt.
have heard some very good Organiza
tions of this kind among Our own peo-
pie, and we should have more of them
Let each young man give his mite; the
result will more than compensate you
In conclusion the following hints
are offered those who may join these
societies:
First Be prompt in attendance al
all Tehearsals.
Secondly Give up all ideas o
money-making work for the love o.
the art and the happiness you may be
come able to give others.
Thirdly. Get every music lover yoI
possibly can interested in your so