Imperial Valley press., 1913-10-08

women, either directly or through
their suggestion. He credits the
great musical advance Of this nation
to the activity of women both as in
dividuals and through their various
organizations. In view of the great
musical talent and interest displayed
by American women, Mr.. Freund
strongly advocates the establishment
of a greater number of orchestras
composed of and directed by women.
He calls attention to the fact that
notwithstanding the great sums spent
upon music by American women,
there are each year from six to seven
thousand young women graduated
with honor from high grade schools
who have difficulty in making liv-
ing by music unless they teach, a
calling for which many talented mu-
sicians are temperamentally untitled.
Comparatively few women are able to
secure paying musical positions un-
less they descend to the cabaret
shows.
lishment of large symphony orches-
ira in New York, composed exclusive
the entire country and open a large
number of new positions to women
musicians A successful women's or
chestra has been in operation for u
number Of years in Los Angeles The
Boston "Fadettes" are we'll known
throughout the country for their mu-
sical excellence. Quite a number of
other cities have established women's S
orchestras upon a small scale, which,
however, has been sufficient to demon
strate feminine ability for such
work. The establishment of large or
ganizations of this kind is entirely
feasible in the minds of many mu-
sical people who have considered it.
One Of the influences promoting
the musical development of the coun-
try is the increasing number of mu-
sical pageants and festivals which
lately have become SO popular. These
festivals are always under the direc-
tion of leader competent to select
good music, so that unconsciously the
musical taste of those taking part IS
stimulated. Someone has described d
pageant as musical drama in which
town is the hero and its history the
plot The musical features of the
pageantS at Darien, Conn, and at
Meriden, N. H., included original mu-
Sical compositions of high standard.
For number of years a mems
club of San Francisco, the Bohemian,
have held a musical festival in the
redwood forests which have had such
high musical value as to give them
national recognition. They are desig-
mated as the high .inks" and as the
members are all men no women have
ever been admitted to the outdoor
performances. 1t was decided last
year that "She" should have an op-
portunity to enjoy them so the pro-
gram was reproduced in the Tiv0li
opera house of San Francisco. The
success Of the first performance led
to the reproduction in August Of the
'jinkS" Of this year, which critics pro
nounced musical event of high me-
it. The scene in the forest in which
the links" were first given were pro.
duced by moving pictures. Next yea
the musical composition for the Be.
hemians will be composed by Director
H. K Hadley, whose musical produc-
tions are well known throughout the
country.
One advantage of the local musical
festival is the opportunity it gives 10
the amateur musician to appear be-
fore a large audience. In the recent
festival in Pittsburg the concert pro-
grams were made up of professional
artists alternating with amateurs who
had shown exceptional ability At a
festival given in Paterson, N. j., Ed
ward j. Mcnamara, young police
man, sang one of the leading parts
The quality of his voice so impressed
Madame Schuman-Heink, who was in
tendance, that the policeman has been
engaged to accompany her as assist
ant artist in her tour in the fall of
1914.
Carl Pohlig, director of the Phia-
delphia orchestra, says that one rea-
son why America is reaching so high
a musical development is because
this is a composite nation. It's citi-
zens are therefore able to appropriate
and enjoy the music of all nations,
unhampered by prejudice. This is