New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-07


L Worcester County Musical Asso-
citation was held in Worcester lMass)
last week. Except that of Thursday
evening. the programmes we're uninter-
esting 70 q visitor from New York.
Saint-Saenss Samson e Dali.a'
opened the festival on Wednesday
evening, the solo parts being in the
hands Of Nine Homer, Theo Karle.
Wadswor.h Provandio and Albert Ed
mund Brown. DR.. Arthur Mees cor
Quoted the performance, and Il was the
sixth time that the work has figured
in 4 Worco-te. festival scheme. On
Thursday afternoon Thaddeus Rich, Of
Philadelphia. who shared The work o.
conducting with Dr. Nees, played Vie
n!awski's violin concerto in j minor;
Margaret Abbott, mezzo-c0ntrsito,
sang "Adleu F6rets," from Tschaikow-
sky's "Joan of Arc" and there was or
chestral music by the band from
Philadelphia. Friday afternoon brought
a symphony by Rabaud in / minor
which was d novelty, and Olga Sama-
ioF played Ss.nt-Saens's pianoforte
concerto in G. minor As usual, the
frsl concert was devoted 10 the ex-
plotting of the solo artists, the singers
being Marcella Craft. Nine Homer,
and Mr.. Karle; and the Instrumental
ist Hans Kinder, Of Philadelphia, who
played Boel,mGnn's variations for the
violoncellO.
The one noteworthy feature OF the
festival was the concert Of Thursday
evening, at which two choral works
received their first performance. They
we're Percy Grainger's Marching Song
OF Democracy" and Henry Hadley's
setting Of DR.. Henry van Dykes code
10 Music" Mr. Grainger's compost
ton has occupied the attention Of The
Tribune heretofore. IL is the most
remarkable case Of laundering in the
index that has ever come under our
notice. There are no words TO this
choral piece-only nonsense syllables,
pom, POM" "dum-d i-diddle," and so
on, which are bolstered up by pompous
noises from an orchestra with an ex-
h traordinary quota Of din-making nstru-
4 ments. But while Mr. Granger doe
y rot permit his singers TO utter a sin
gle thought, he prefaces his work with
several pages Of excerpts from Walt
Whitman's yawps about democracy.
What relation these quotations bear
o the music and the silly vocables
which the choristers are compelled 10
sing is a thing past finding out. What
does IL all mean? Is democracy merely
an emotion which can find expression
~ scuseless sound? Are there no
IDEAS in the political system entitled
10 expression? Mr. Granger seems
20 think not. Rhythm and sorority
suffice him. His music IS strident,
stridulous, robustious, but also ingen-
ious, clever, mastery IN construction.
but, after all, IL is mere sound and
fury, signifying nothing
very different order Of art is DR..
van Dykes lode to Music" as set by
Mr. Hsdley. 1t was scarcely to have
been expected that the score would
reach the high level Of the poem. The
ode is masterpiece Of beautiful
thought, beautifully expressed. II is
oxquisitely melodic; its csdences fall
refreshingly into the ears; II hymns
music in its many varied phases; and
charming in itself, it yet invites melody
and harmony 20 come 70 It's aid. To
the poem, as originally published, DR..
van Dyke at Mr.. Hadley's request
added section entitled "War Music"
interpolating it very ingeniously be-
tween the sections entitled dance
Music" and "The SYMPHONY
Break off, Dance no more.
Music is in arms
To signal wars alarms!
Hark! a sudden trumpet calling
over the hill.
Why are you calling, trumpet, calling?