The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-09
IN ONE BIG CHORUS
Fifteen Hundred TOpekans
Sang in the Auditorium.
community Sing" Proved To
Be Popular Move.
AND IT DIDN'T COST A CENT!
Dean WhitehOuse of Washburn
Gave Crowd a Lesson.
Only Regret Was They Couldn't
Sing Enough.
AND IT DIDN'T COST A CENT!

The first community sing in Topeka
was held Tuesday night at the audi
torium About fifteen hundred people
were present, forming company rep
resentative of all classes and sections
of Topeka The evening was gwen
under the auspices of the music de
partment of the Topeka Federation OF
Women. The work Of rouslng interest,"
in civic music has been flourishing IN
other cities and the idea appealed 10
the music department of the fedora
ton. The plan for putting II INTO prac-
tice IN Topeka belongs to MIS-. ser
trude Tracy Wilson, who, win tile heiP
of some of the members of the music
department of which she is chairman,
worked out the details and presented
ia the people of Topeka an eNcellenl
plan for an evenings enjoyment en-
tirely free of charge to the auulehSe.
In The early evening MarshaH's pahu
played: some organ selections VIZ ~,
given bs Miss Mildred Hazelrigg; the
Washburn Glee club sang some mum
bers, and there were two duets oS VI 70
George Payne and Mrs. FRANK
possibilities Here.
Some announcements were made
from, the rostrum after the speclal
program. and then Dean Horace
Whitehouse, of Washburn cohese, tooN
tho floor, and addressed the audlehGe'
telling them of the musical possloill-
tics for Topeka. the talent OF its PEG
pIe and their latent capa biilties. me
audience was led in the singing by MI;
VVhitehouse ''Old Folks At Home
was his first choice, and the stanzaS
and the chorus were gone through 4
number of times until the leader tounu
the audience singing it somewhat 10
his satisfaction. The Glee clup was
then asked to sing an irish lullapy,
f'he refrain of the lullaby was taught
to the audience by Mr.. Whitehouse anu
the Glee club.
After that the singing passed on to
Loves Old Sweet Song, which Is
one of the most charming ana pes
liked of all the old favorite songs.
The audience sang it with zest ana
feeling and it was good to hear me
chorus W as sung by the men alone and
then by the women. after the old fash
toned method of conducting a song
service in revival meetings.
For the closing number the people
stood up and sang America.
Wanted to Sing.
People in general like to sing. Bur
the critics are so numerous and so Sc
we're that the unlettered in musical
matters are afraid to venture on
simple tune unsustained by other un-
trained voices The idea Of the COM
munity music is for every one to sing
whether he can or not. The psyche
logical effects are good. even II the
me lodic ones are not always. The
people in the auditorium last night
wanted to sing more than they had
chance TO. There were eight songs
printed on the program, and every one
of them were favorites that the whole
house would have liked to MARBLE.
out Of that number they sang but
three.
There are to be some more COM
munity sings arranged. and even more
people than came last night are want
ed. The plan offers the greatest
q amount of enjoyment to the greatest
number of people, at the minimum
cost (nothinE at all) of any scheme
ever tried along musical lines.