The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-29

AdNt tid1H OA iit PioiA will be put in operation at Dallas, and 1t is a certainty that on every tongue of 5000 who will go as delegates from all parts Of the United States, Birmingham will often be. Atlanta is making stren- uous efforts to rival Birmingham, but At lanta is destined to keen disappolnt- ment.
 ..The convention will be in session for four or five days. and following the convention, a 1000 mile trip will be made ts1l oughout Texas on a special Every member of the local club, whether he goes as a delegate or not, will be given an op- porlunity to take advantage of this trlp' Special service and attention will be given the ladies who go.''
 Musical Art
 '1t may be that many persons attend festival concerts merely to be in the fashion, but the majority of those who make up the audiences really love music' said well known amateur.
 "Of course, those who are musically educated, get more out of high class mu- sic than those who are not. but the late Theodore Thomas. the pioneer in sym phony music in this country, had theory that the public could be educated up to an appreciation of the best in musical art by constantly hearing good music. Thomas concerts in Central Park, New York, 40 years ago, drew great crowds. His programmes were light compared with those of later years, but he played lf box tfcft merit After years of patient pioneering Thomas could draw thousands of music lovers to hear classic works who, while not edu- cated in music. were discriminating lis- teners. His theory had worked satisfac- torily.
 Music is a much more subtle and in- tellectual art than many people used to think it was, but now every cultured person knows that not only must mu- sicians have general culture. but that the listeners should be educated to listen intelligently and with spiritual insight.
 Edward Dickinson's book. published about a year ago, The Education of a Music Lover is pleasant reading and contains many useful hints. It should have wide sale and wide reading. Every chapter is full of interest. Here are some excerpts:
 The question how composer works becomes of interest. Many people seem to have the notion that a musical com position Is of the nature of an improvisa- ton, a succession of tones streaming out of a highly excited emotional condition. As regards song-which in the case of genius like Schubert may be struck out at a white heat and jotted down in a few feverish moments-this is in part true, but not so in respect to a work containing an abundance of varied ideas and elaborate in organization Beethoven spent many days in writing the funeral march of the Heroic" symphony. but we are not to suppose that his thoughts during that time were constantly fixed on mortality and the grave. We think of sTschaikewsky as man in whom there was an especially direct connec- ton between his moods and his music, but listen to what he says in one of his letters: Those who imagine that a crea- tive artist can, through the medium of his art, express his feelings at the mo- ment when he is moved make the great est mistake. Emotions, sad or joyful, can only be expressed retrospectively so to speak. Without any special reason for rejoicing I may be moved by the most cheerful creative mood, and, vice versa, work composed amid the hap plest surroundings may be touched with dark and gloomy colors."
 We know that Beethoven and Chopin composers whose music is charged to a high degree of emotional tension-were slow and laborious workers, Beethoven, particularly. being forced to struggle not only with the workings out of his themes themselves. fairly twisting and hammer Ing them into shape before he could be- gIn to make use of them as constructive material So true is it that musical composition is work of conscious re- flecti1e design that an actual personal emotion may even stand in the way of the best success in execution
 Tt is the glory of art that it's master pieces are written in unconscious sym- pathy with universal human feeling, and are not the less sincere when they call forth tears such as tlyir creators neyS