Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-22
Mrs. Daggett Pleases
With Bird Melodies

An entertainment quite out Of the
ordinary was given last evening UNI
der the auspices of the Rock Island
Musical club at the New Harper when
Mrs. Jessie Braman Daggert told what
bird songs mean to her, and so well
did she initiate the lovely songs of the
birds that one had but to close his
eyes and imagine himself in woods
filled with the feathered songsters.
Mrs. Daggett insists she has heard
birds sing snatches of grand opera,
rag time, folk songs, ETC., and she con-
WINGED her hearers last evening that
she had, and not a one of her hearers
but will listen to the songs Of the birds
with a different attention to what they
are singing. Mrs. Daggert has most
beautiful whistle and with the soft &C
compartment of the piano gives pro-
gram Of musical worth and entertain
ment as we'll. She had spent many
years in the study of birds and their
songs and has whistled duets with
them until she is able to record in mu-
steal form their songs. Not having al
ways at hand when she was listening
to the birds, music paper on which to
jot down the songs, she began the
habit of recording the songs by asso-
ciating them with some compositions
with which she was familiar and she
was soon astonished to find that every
bird was singing some song that had
snatches in it with which she was
familiar. and it was not long before
song from Faust, Yankee Doodle, Way
Down South in Dixie, etc. She noticed
too, that a robin, as an example, sang
different songs at different times of
the year: In April, when he was
housebuilding and material was scarce
and Mrs. Robin inclined to be indo-
| lent, his song was in minor key, In
April. as things began to pick up bet
ter and the sun to shine brighter he
changed his song to major and in June
with every thing working in fine shape
/ his song was one of rejoicing and great
gladness, these three songs Mrs. Dag
CERT combined into a lovely melody.
| Again she has heard birds singing
duets very plainly carrying snatches
of ooh Ye Tears" and the other,
Take Back the Heart That Thou
Gavest" Still another, a meadow lark,
sang 81 Am Pilgrim" Mrs. Daggett
giving the number with beautiful eff
effect Sic has found music in the
song of the rooster who sings selec-
| lions from Faust, in the screech owl
who can sing selections from Carmen,
the field sparrow who sings "Yhe Eve
ming Star" annie Laurie" etc. The
white crowned sparrow sing Zone Fine
Day" from Madam Butterfly" and the
most beautiful of all songsters, the
wood thrush is able to sing most any
kind of melody in a manner to which
no words can do justice. The Ken
lucky cardinal she has heard sing "Sil-
yer Threads Among the Gold" Aud
plaintive mood has sung "Old Black
Joe" She told OF any number OF birds
that sing various selections and gave
snatches of 81 Dreamt That I Dwelt in
Marble Halls from THE Bohemian
Cir" "Everbody's Doing 1t Now, ""Die
| Walkure, etc.
Of course Mrs. Daggett does not say
that the birds sing all these songs
through from beginning to end, but
that there are motifs in them that may
very easily be identified, and her hear
! ers agreed with her.
She also spoke of the methods she
has adopted in visualizing the songs
of birds, songs being represented by
saw teeth and a long scratch"
straight and curved lines, etc.
The entertainment was a great de-
light.