Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-06-08
THE SANGERFEST.

gratified that their city has been
chosen as the meeting place of the
great Norwegian sangerfest when it
next assemblies. The city has once
entertained this great society, and the
visit OF the singers is recalled with
pleasure by all who heard them. The
next meeting will be much larger, and
It will attract still wider attention.
1t is peculiarly fitting that this
meeting should be held in this section,
for We are right in the center of the
Norwegian population of the United
States. Norway has given to this
country some of its best citizens, and
many thousands of them are located
in our own and Immediately adjoining
states. The sangerfest will bring here,
not only the members of the great
singing society from a distance, but
visitors by the thousand who will
come for the purpose OF listening to
the songs Of the fatherland sung by
trained voices, and by members such
as have engaged in this work in the
old land.
Our fellow citizens from abroad
bring with them many customs which
fail to take root on this continent. The
conditions Of the new land are not
favorable to their growth. and little
by little they die out. Fortunately
the custom of singing persists. at least
for long time, and it is to be hoped
that instead of beng modified out of
existence by the pressure Of new con-
ditions, this singing custom which has
been brought to us from abroad will
take permanent root in our soil, and
will spread until it includes the whole
population.
Most Americans do not sing enough.
In fact the practice seems to have
been losing rather than gaining
ground. One or two generations ago
the singing school was common fea-
ture of American life. During the
winter young men and women Of the
neighborhood would gather once or
twice a week at the country school
house, or at the homes Of the resi-
dents. and sing by the hour songs
which. for the most part, now exist
only as memories. The anthem. the
sentimental song, the jolly round, the
quartet with ringing chorus. all were
practiced until some highly creditable
performances were possible. The pro-
fessional critic might have scoffed at
much that was done, but at least there
was trained in the people some appre-
citation Of the elements of music. and
there was established means Of So
cial intercourse under conditions
which do not appear to have been
greatly improved on.
The European nations excel US in
singing. Perhaps among the Scandi-
navians more than among any other
continental people. singing is national
and popular in it's character. There
the people meet to sing, not to listen
to singing. Among the people Of that
race here, chorus singing is the nat
ural and ordinary entertainment at
thousands Of family and social gather
ings, whereas in gatherings of Amer
pean tradition and custom, the Gus
tom is for the company to listen to
individual instrumental performers
and vocalists. The Germans sing. too,
because they love it, and the races of
southern Europe have music born in
them. In ireland and Britain folk
singing is common. In Wales, of all
the British countries popular singing
has found its best and most general
expression. There it is rare for a
company Of any kind to gather.
whether formally or informally. with
out singing of very fine sort. A
few years ago the advance agent Of
a large circus which had been tour
ing Europe said that the most impress
sive thing in the way Of music which
he had ever heard was crowd Of
10000 Welsh people singing "Men of
Harlech," as they sat in the big cir
Gus tent waiting for the afternoon
performance to begin.
We need music. music that the COM
mon people can sing and understand
and we need to cultivate the art Of
singing, and such organizations as the
great Norwegian Singing society are
doing a magnificent work in keeping
alive this most splendid custom.
ll& NO ARNFTSTTcE