The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-04-09
THE EVOLUTION OF
WORLDS MUSIC
Furnishes the Theme for a Well Written
Chautauqua Paper Read at the Last
Meeting of the Circle. Origin and
Progress Of Music.
BEGAN WITH CHINESE
By Roy J.

Musical history is a story of sup
pressions, evasions and classitica-
tions. In the treatment of this very
interesting subject l shall endeavor
to place before you the different
periods in the development of this
art in such way as to make the dry
facts, dates, etc., more interesting to
the layman than is generally the
case. To the International Ency-
clopedia'' The Dominant" and
American Musician, am indebted
for much of the information and
dates with which this paper is made
up.
In the beginning man was equip
ped with his voice, vocal tones pre-
ceeded musical ones, one school 60
ing so far as to claim that singing
preceded speech.
Two writer's, Grell and Engel put
forth the claim that speech is but
degenerated singing and it would
seem as though this argument has a
basis in fact when one considers the
speech of the Chinese, the oldest
race in the world today, who as we
all know sing their words, using five
distinct minor tones in their express
sion.
We have but few records of music
of the ancient days, therefore we find
it hard to judge as to it's character
and scope. but from what records
have been found, it was very crude.
1t consisted of but three tones,
whereas in our music of today we
use a scale Of ninety tones and some
singers use many more. The earli-
est records we have came to us from
Al C-~Al---~:----l-- ------l q: L -
had absorbed from the chantings of
the Egyptians.
First Musical Instrument
The first real musical instrument
was the work of the Egyptians made
some 500 B. c., and was attributed
to the Egyptian God. Thoth.
1t was the Tyre, made somewhat
like our either, with six strings.
The Greeks, who were patrons of
all the arts, made music, such as it
was. part of their daily lives.
The Romans received their musl-
cal education from the Greeks. The
early Christians were the first to
make music a part of Divine Wor-
ship and to these heroes and martyrs
the Catholic Church owes much for
the chants now used in the mass.
Records of the work of these early
Christians is now in the Vatican at
Rome, one collection being made by
Saint Ambrose. Bishop of Milan,
about the year A. D. 3S4 the other
by Saint Gregory the Great, about
A. D. 500. The chants used by the
early Christians formed the basis of
study from which has sprung the
noble and inspiring music we hear
in the Roman Catholic Church.
From the beginning of the Christian
Era to the thirteenth century, there
was no development in the art, but
during this century the family of
musical instruments was increased,
thus making the art much more pleas
ing and it soon came into favor,
each chief or baron having his pri-
vate company of singers and players.
The lutte, the most popular of the
instruments of this day. was an in
strument of the guitar family, had
six pairs of strings. one string of
each pair being tuned one octave
higher than the other. The theorbo.
also member of the guitar family
had two necks. short one for the
treble tones and long one for the
bass tones. This instrument forme
the model from which our piano
was evolved. Instruments of pre-
cussion, the bass and small drum
brass cyinbsls and tubes for chimes
were invented about this time
Much of the development of the ar1
was at this time centered in Paris
but it was not universal in scope.
Oppose Music in Churches
Until the sixteenth century music
was individual. each country or parts
of countries having its own concep-
ton of the art. During the sixteenth
century, printing of musical scores
was invented and an interchange of
songs and chants soon brought about
real foundation. Among the great
names in music is that of Henry
Purcell, 1658-1695. To him must
be accredited much that is really
great in musical art for he lived at
q time when the Puritans were doing