The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-07-25
Joy of Being Musical
Nv IRENE WESTON.

I'm afraid" said the girl, with sigh
that you will find me a very unsaris
factory kind of companion for a concert
You see, l know absolutely nothing about
orchestrization or the theory of music :
Then, you'll have to learn" laughed
the man, as he looked through the pro.
gramme. You'll enjoy the concert evei
so much more If you'll even read the ex.
planatory annotations-"
TO my mind" the girl suggested, great
ly daring, 1.-The right kind of music
oughtn't to need explanatory notes. II
the singer or the orchestra can't interpret
somewhere
The musician looked at the girl with
disapproval. She was dear little thing
and he was really mighty fond of her
But 1t was a pity she didn't know any.
thing about music. Years of his own life
had been spent in browsing amongst or.
chestral scores. He knew every move.
ment of every symphony that was worth
while. He understood exactly the con.
struction of the most intricate piece And
the girl didn't know the difference be-
tween viola and a violin
you can't understand music properly
unless you know how it's made sale
the man. with a frown. you don't know
what the composer was driving at unles,
you know the work he allotted to ever,
instrument.
II don't need to know the ingredient.
of an ice pudding and the overture te
Leonora, cried the musician angrily
IAN ice pudding doesn't tell a story MY
point is that you can't see the pictures the
composer meant to see unless you under
statnd the significance of the manner ir
which every movement is treated"
The girl was about to reply. But the
conductor appeared and she was silent
She felt very ignorant. And she was
sorry. She would certainly have been q
more congenial pal IL she had understood
the mechanics of music. But she wasn't
going to let her ignorance spoil every.
thing. She meant to enjoy the concert
She would listen to the symphony-and
read the notes afterwards.
Very soon she forgot all about the mar
at he rside Her ears revealed in the rich
ness and beauty of the music. And he,
eyes saw pictures, too. She found herself
inventing story, just as she had invented
stories long ago for the delight Of youne
sister. The story was not a children's
story; 1t was an epitome Of her own life
as she would have desired it to be. Then
with change in the music, she let the
composer tell the story-and finish It,
WELL" queried the man. when the
symphony was over, Ibid you like it,"
Yes" said the girl.
But the man was not satisfied. The
next piece was the Pathetic The cir
had never heard it. He was tremendously
anxious that she should understand all
that Tchaiiowsky meant in the incompar.
able symphony. In subdued whisper
he began to explain the construction Of
the piece. analyzing and dissecting it al
1t went along. He was pitifully anxious
that the girl should not miss the signifi.
cameo Of a single passage.
suddenly. she turned around and looked
at him reproachfully
oh, do be quiet" she burst out you're
spelling it ALL"
I'm glad I don't know anything abou
music" she confessed when the concer
was over. $50 very glad. I was BIZ
ashamed of my ignorance before Tn
glad Of it now. You know SO much abou
the way music is made that you haven
time to enjoy it."