Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-23

nv HENRIETTA NJ. REEFS.

! N
" cal services IN many OF tho
- churches the mind rests for q
IrIYyyly moment on the relation of
49, music and religion, In every
period OF time and through all the ages
a vast quantity OF music has been writ
ten TO religious words and around sacred
subjects and has been generally classed
as religious music, Unfortunately a great
deal OF this Is not worthy and Ii not re-
ligious music in any other senae. Music
which does not ling true TO the words or
spirit indicated, or which In spite OF con
seientlous effort has no inspiration behind
II certainly has no place In an otherwise
sincere church service which will appeal
to the best in mankind, Yet many times
this poor music, tho result OF Ignorance
or carelessnesH or a lacA.of reverence on
the part OF the composer because Il hap
pens 10 be Joined 10 words which are
more or less religious In character Is
given valuable time and a place when
much better music might be had II may
be an anthem or hymn, but whatever
It Is the composer did not select the
wheat from the chair IA his writing OF II
4 hRh wv RtNeth Afab'hFAhA' WiAAh nv
lected H. Music for a church service
should not be collected lightly as Il often
is. for Il liz only music that Il genuinely
good, whether II be old or new. simple
or complex, which can add power TO tho
teaching OF a religion.
On tho other hard, much music never
intended for church services and never
used IN church is fun Of religion Think
| for a moment upon some Of the Bocula;
compositions which have lived through
the centuries upon their merits. con-
slider tho great works Of the great mao.
tors, where not melody or hsr-
mony occurs but which breathes OF the
sorupulous care and thought OF the com
poser that II be the best and truest ex-
preston that could be used and where
the greatest inspiration may be found
Music and religion are closely connected
and each has a part In the development
Of the other One might say that music
in religion aids in bringing out all the
beauties OF truth. and that religion IN
music helps 20 express all the truths Of
beauty,
-
lilo School Music Supervisors held nj Lin.
coin Is given detailed review in Musical
America Of April and the Musical cour.
Ter OF April g. This Is the convention 10
which Miss Fanny Arnold and Miss Eu.
nice Ensor took a class OF 100 high school
students 20 be heard in choral music
AZ this convention a Nebraska Music
Teachers association was formed with
Mr., Willard Kimball as temporary presi.
dent.
In Musical America an extended article
Ia also given 10 music in the public
schools OF lincoln, which system IL nc.
oepted az q model In many other cities
II says. in part; Here the credit sys-
tenn allows the students TO earn eight
or twenty five per cent of the thirty-two
points required for graduation from the
high school by the study OF music ans
these same eight credits are accepted as
entrance credits by the State university
II Is believed that Nebraska 10 the first
OF tho state universities 10 recognize
murie credits 10 30 large an extent. How
long Will Il be until Omaha schools will
allow music students credit for this work,
which IL recognized by tho stnte univer-
slty where the majority OF those that
continue their studies Rttend7
D
Any musical readers wishing 70 add a
mite OF tribute today TO the memory OF
the great Bach Of literature" william
Shakespeare. might do well to inform
themselves OF his place IN music. Ex-
cellent articles upon this subject appear
In the April edition OF the Musical
Courier. and the edition or Musical
America Of April is. The one in the
Musical Courier entitled "Shakespcare
and Music" is written by Clarence Lucas
known IN Omaha as the composer Of the
musical setting OF THE Bells" which
was sung at the recent Mendelssohn
Choir concert, The point that Shake
speare's knowledge OF music was both
extensive and exact Is brought out by
numerous illustrations and references. he
unlike many other poets. never employ
ing technical words incorrectly. A list
OF ninety lyrics from the plays Of Shake
apsare intended for music is given with
the name or the play In which each oc-
ours. But few OF the larger musical set
tings out Of the vast quantity written In
the last 900 years are mentioned owing
10 the immense amount Of a. II might
not be amlss To recall at this time the
setting o. Under the Greenwood Tree"
with which our own Mr. Thomas J. Kelly
won substantial cash prize. from the
Ladies' Home Journal IN nationwide
contest some few years age setting
which has been used successfully upon
many programs since,
The article IN Musical America deals
with "shhkeHnaares Influence Unnn
opera Composers ln which Or r.
Grant brlnEs % notice more Than eighty
musical works based upon the PLAYS
alone. although few survive at tie pres-