El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-29
BOYS AND GIRLS
AS MUSICIANS
High School Orchestra a Big
Surprise; Enthusiasm for
Symphony Orchestra.

FL Pasoans who had not before en-
loved the pleasure Of listening to the
biob school symphony orchestra were
delightfully."- surprised at the remark
able showing Of the boys and girls I'M
der the able direction Of A. G. Alexan-
der. at the concert given Friday even
inc in the Texas Grand theater. The
concert will be repeated tonight Axel
Skoveaard, Danish violinist, and his
companv Of singers were advertised as
the main attraction Of the evening, but
the youthful musicians acquitted them
saivss With such credit that FL Pasoans
lent away from the theater talking
r,osf Of the orchestra. This is said with
ont reflection upon the program offered
nv or the ability OF the professionals
I-y-arrbodv expected something very
GOOD from the professionals, so there
vas no surprise, but surprise was
unanimously expressed at the excel
lenre If the school orchestra, organized
- short time. Prof Alexander,
whose guiding hand has perfected the
bovs and girls to such remarkable
/ extent in their work. asked the audi
ence TO remember that the youthful
/ T-1,sicians had only been training
| short time and had not had a single
] rehearsal with any OF the profession
| ais. However. his apology was not
J needed The youngsters showed IalenI
| and reflected the careful training they
6 Sng had from their enthusiastic con-
4 ductor and the application they nave
| personally given the work
PiaT Exceptionally Well
The wav they entered into the spirit
I of the march from Aida, as the mi
! tial number. then moved smoothly
through the always popular Anvil
/ Chorus" for an encore, won the ap-
! n1ause and sympathy Of the audience
! instantly and there was no surprise
/ later when they acquitted themselves
| so well in the rather olIIleuil s5Alette
Z number from Lucia" and the still more
difficult "IntermeZzO" from "Cavalle-
/ ria Rusticana" and ''AIiserere from
! .sTrovatore" The youthful musicians
all played with enthusiasm and carefuI
1 attention to their work ana the nm
/ ished manner Of the music showed the
! feeling the young folks were able TO
| put into their efforts
Appeal for symphony Orheestra-
Prof. Alexander made an appeal 10
/ the audience for support for sym
phony orchestra, saying: II Eb Paso
] can produce such an orchestra OF boys
and girls in such snort uIne, tLeLe
is reason to expect very mucn more
! from an organization OF adults. partlcu-
I larry when there are now IN the city
musicians enough TO play every in
! strument Of 4S-plece orcnestIa- ~
| said such an orchestra could be started
on $500 a month and once II was unoer
/ way, he felt certain that II would
| grow into such popularity that the peo-
4 pie would insist on taxing care OF II
] in a proper manner. Inc S9UV d
month" he said. would be barely
enough TO hold it together, but ne
/ merely wanted q chance to get II to-
gether and snow the peoPle wa s', IL
! be done; then he was certain It's future
would take care Of itself
ShOFgaard Talks on Music
| Mr. SkoVgaard made a talk also upon
the value Of a symphony orchestra 70
a city and said education should not
consist solely Of the material things-
/ that art and music should have
| chance Even the bookkeeper who
/ as good a bookkeeper as the one who
| takes some time TO learn something OF
| music and art" he asserted He de-
clared that the German people work
] world, yet Germany finds time TO be
| the worlds music center and its peo-
pie as whole support symphony or
! chestras everywhere This support is
| not confined to one class, but extends
) TO all classes he said, and il IS not
! confined to one country in Europe
! In Copenhagen. his own home. he said,
there are numbers Of symphony orches-
( tras My father wrote me not to come
home TO give concerts for money; ne
said I would starve," the speaker as
! serted, because there are too many
J symphony orchestras playing there and
! they play for all the people, free They
! are kept up by public subscription
! Young Need the Music.
You need to inculcate music into
/ the young American; you have NOV
| ing picture house here, another here,
( another here. and so on; get a sym
! phony orchestra and bury the moving
| picture houses with its melody" was
his parting advice.
/ Mr.. Skovgaard carries five people
with him. Mrs. SkOvgaard plays his
/ piano accomplishments and four sing
! ers, three women and a man, appear IN
/ solos. duets. trios and quartets. Mr..
| Skovgaard appeared in solo work and
( in conjunction with the orchestra. and
/ demonstrated the wonderful varied
! capabilities of the violin as well as his
/ own remarkable skill
The attendance packed the theater
and the applause was so enthusiastic
| that Mr.. Alexander made arrangements
! 20 repeat the performance tonight, with
/ a new program with the exception Of
| the orchestral numbers