The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-05-31
&c. IT'S POWER AND ITS IN
FLUENcE

.auating Essay OF MISS irma Blake
che ocaIa High School, at the
rempIs Theater, Monday Evening,
NAY 2oth, 1912.
INIT is music? Who could tell? 1t
go subtle, too Elusive for words to
sne Il is the link between the
10 and the infinite, the one thing
hiring from heaven and the only
no We take back to heaven. We
agree that music is an art, beauti-
inspiring, sublime! 1t is the ex-
.ssion of the human emotions. 1t
haen said that music is a sixth
go To those who possess it, il
ans mn a wide horizon, deeper
nuehts. a field for nobler deeds.
,sie. If il is to be seriously cared
II II is to have any relation TO
deeper interests of life, must be
close relationship to feeling, for
sic Is but one of the means of COM
unicating feeling. Once admitted to
soul, it becomes a sort of spirit,
"A never dies. 1t wanders through
halls and galleries of the memory,
IA Is often heard again, distinct and
ling. as when it first displaced the
kveIets of the air. 1t makes a d.
n appeal to the inner being and
bates there, though often hidden
L. in the heart, desires rich, full
IA noble.
From earliest times music has been
i means of expression of the soul.
IL first music was not written, but
Il handed down by tradition. The
nv earliest was used by the Egypt
bs In their temple worship. The
II concerted music and the first of
klch we have any record, was used
the Greeks in their choruses, and
Dm that time has come down to us.
rom this pagan music of the Greeks
NJ descended our hymns, modelled
the Greek choruses. During the
#triod from the fall of Jerusalem till
third century, when Gregory re-
we'd the hymns, almost all the mu-
was in the monasteries. Thus, we
"a the church a very important fac
s In our Inheritance of music. The
rly music of the Christians was pro-
andy influenced by these hymns.
owth and development went on con-
hntly. and soon we find the French
|nstrels in the glorious days of ro-
z|hnce, going from castle to castle
eountlng the brave deeds of the
fench heroes, singing the traditions,
i "a in this way giving great inspir-
bon to chivalry. This music has
1Sme down to us like silver chord,
fyer touched, never relieved of its
essages to humanity, but true to all
aims. to all nations. to all times.
What souls are not stirred to pa
otism by their national hymns:
here Is the American who is not
0nsed to a greater love of his coun-
i when he hears the "Star Spanglei
inner" or my Country IT'S OF
ee9" We need also other stanzas %
press the inexhaustible riches OF
; e sublime and beautiful, the broad
"a varied natural entertainments of
s. America. Let us sing the familiar
ID well-loved verses which come
ON the east, but let us sing also of
" north, the west, the south. the
eat Lakes, the wild forests, the
81 prairies. the blooming savan-
rs.
The English national hymns have
great an influence, or an even
eater influence on the people than
r patriotic songs have on Amerl-
ms. At the close of every entertain
Xent In England the national hymn
S sung. The audience always rises.
N the first strains of his national air
- Englishman stops, bares his head,
d stands till the sound dies away.
ch reverence! From these people,
might learn to reverence our ma
pnal songs to a greater degree. Long
80. only one Scottish air or pibrocn
Is needed to assemble the clans for
ID or defense. These songs spurred
ave Scottish highlanders to action,
We them greater courage, renewed
PR strength. At the seige of Luck
W, when the defendants bad given
all hopes of success, and were on
&e verge of surrendering, the pipes
aging The Campbell's Are Com
T." exerted such an influence over
EN- that they were able to hold out
the aid arrived.
Of no less power and influence over
Ne people is the national hymn OF
pstria. written by Haydn just after
return from England. He was So
- ~ n