New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-22
PAGEANT MUSIC
CREDIT TO YALE
osodition Excellent but
Effectiveness Lost in
Open Air
r, II. r. KREHBIEL

k1'N 49, arcsrt TOO large = part
tor IFS own good, and too am
I .~ mar. for the good Of most OF
si'., ....rrar scenes which st accom-
e " No doubt the faculty Of the
s.,ool o. Music Is in full appre-
'.' -. Of this fact now that the incl
' over: beyond question the fact
CIV ,-e,isted long before the demon
~ ','s5 was made yesterday.
p. n. dispose Of much criticism
4, not fault-fnding) at once
", ,.v that until the authors OF pa
realize FAR better than they
"a. realized hitherto. including yes
~ fhat ir at historical or ale
Toe!i concentrations or masses, by
f''.'a tor masses. the cramatist must
- u f-fs.o. and so must the musl-
''lA .sc-.s Ike this memorable one
hs largely abcrtvc.
-. ,,5sr that the musician may per
e mart effectively he must not
80 10 do work which depends
80 e4ectivc7css upon the illustra
W - e,ie song Lyrical does offer q
=. and beau.ful field 90 music ~
- re twin arts 81 poetry and music
20 ..,,e5 but thcir union Is useless
~ ,hei~ iutcrrc,Gtion can be
80, 70 che apprehension. 20 say
- ~ che comprehension OF the
...-s This ie difficult under the
80 80 cor6.rons. it Is impossible in
20 ,.,,rs lot And therefore 1t must
80 regretfulv. that much good
1 wss wasted so Yesterday 5 SPLEEN
~ ~ eoDeeivcd show. and that the
-. ,-ste-tious efforts fitted best into
"a, ,.Isoe ard we've most effective.
-. features also lost IN effective
-. because o. the gulf between me
-, makers and the scenes which
..,v we're trying 90 illustrate.
Creators Of the Music
-. .sk o. creating the music for
4. dramatic scenes and interludes,
- ssde up the pageant, were Dean
barker and his associates ~ thS Aae
;.lool Of Music; David Stanley smith,
~ Daniel Bingham, Walter RueI
T.vIes. Harry Benjamin Jepson, Doug
81 Stusrt Moore and William EDWIN
s,ssrbe The chief burden was borne
II M. Smith. who conducted the music
Z n. entire performance and COM
- the music f0r its opening and
s,,ine episodes. and Or. Parker, who
.,.rrssd the task Boo which music, as
,-,b had lis finest opportunity, but
"a ne most difficult task for the rea-
avs which have already been sug-
gssisd
Tlere was nothing 70 mar the fine
,ssr,'yeness OF Nr. smiths incidental
-ssie for the first prelude. He pro-
visad bright strai ghtforward, sonor-
su, march for the paSesntry OF the
marriage Of the ancestors Of the found
* ~ The Yale name. careless of musl-
Ell snachronism. q fine song for the
bsr5s. effectively sung by the college
rsoir and giee club in the place where
tbspieture required II TO be, and an in
..rrertal postlude which had enough
d arehsie favor 90 give zest 10 the
. Aigtiful medayGl scene as II was dis
+ pzed.
'Ths wisdom, which guided the must
nI management Of this tab.eau was
i-ro,ten in tire next. which had been
,or.ryed so thar Characteristic music
riert have easily helped II 20 a much
ine, effect than .- d.
M Bingham provided the music 1or
Ne Indian and Puritan scene. Songs
n ,be redue7 were succeeded by
bvru 70 old york Tune finely chosen
musical expression Of the founders
G New Haven.
Ursophistlcated the Indian melodies
sung By the actors in the scene would
lave been immeasurablv more effective,
rssieslly as wei. as dramatically, than
hey we're sung by the far away choir
With only q suggestion Of drumoeats
70 help the loca. color. Yet here at
lsss, there was appropriately dramatic
ngsie.
Blending Of Arts
there was q delightful meeting Of
lroprieiy Of purpose and achievement
., eject in the first interlude, which
presented in Glegoricsl manner the
crossing the sea by the arts ana
sciences
The thousand OF more Of school chill
trsn, clad 10 represent the deep green
q the sea and it1 lighter crested bill
loVs, Sho pound into the bowl, over
ia I'm and down US sisles, causing
ne first gasp o. gstonished delight,
arg NJ. Cow.es's pretty song 20
woven PAGES and waving arms" with
g lovely o bOdylrC forth Of the IN
osTylng poetic c0uceit that all desire
70 measure tho intrinsic value Of the
composition wss lost. Here the audi
siee recognized how beautifully ale
gy, picture and music could be
asrded.
Apoiouuder idea was at the bottom
:. ne second nterlude. an Allegory OF
aN and Peace for which the manager
ne pageant 49, Markoe. wrote the
soids and Professor Parker the music.
acre music made its highest fight,
~ i was heavily weighted by the
ltlnstance that the elements OF the
iisIlude could not be brought to-
s'.oer FOR mass impression.
roetry and music were al ode which
e pageantry should have Illustrated;
lae living picture was an allegory
p which the song should have pro-
..'so an explanatory commentary.
az the words were not ineligible,
%snusieal performance was faulty and
As't was so great a lacG Of syncnron-
81 between the elements that the fac
-aes could not unite IN common and
ss@ally heightened enjoyment.
IA connection with this record an in
testing fact IL worth noting: The
Ssvs was composed of an indepen-.
CEN body Of singers % New Haven,
g. ~
seeszl organization which enjoys the
,aane;ion Of being the only choir Of
- hind In New Haven County at the
resent time.
With all It's labors in behalf OF
sssieal culture, Yale University hes
~ succeeded in maintaining an
M Il