The Washington times., 1917-04-07
URGES CHURCHES
TO GIVE CONCERTS
DR.. CIaxton Advocates Weekly
Organ Recitals to Mold
Juvenile Character.

Weekly organ recitals In the
churches for the children OF the city
are advocated by DR.. p. p. Claxton,
Commissioner Of Education, as a meas
ure to cultivate good musical taste
and lift the aspirations of the masses.
DR.. Claxton declares the churches are
empty during most of the week, and
wonderful organs are silent when
they might be doing a great educa-
tional work for children Of impress
sionable age.
TN all the cities and larger towns
OF the United States there are hun
dreds and thousands of boys and
girls who never hear good music:"
declares DR.. Ciaxton. 'If they hear
music at all, 1t is of the ragtime or
vaudeville type or the mechanical
music of the moving picture theaters.
Some OF them hear and Join in the
Sunday school songs to the accompIIr
lment of small organ or plano. OF
music that apeals to the best of their
emotions, that stirs the soul and helps
to form good taste in music. they
hear little or none"
the ugliness and squalor of the slums,
where there Is little to appeal 40
and help form the sense of beauty
and grandeur in light and color, form
and space -
Costly Churches Idle.
"Yet, in these same towns and cities
are scores and hundreds of costly
churches, beautiful and attractive in
the vauIting OF their ceilings, in the
tinting of their walls and the colors
of their windows. and impressiye in
remain closed and the organs
silent while the children work in the
mills or play In the alleys and their
souls starve unconsciously.
"why should not every church In
which there is good organ and
which has a competent organist, open
its doors freely to children between
the ages of eight or nine to seventeen
or eighteen for one hour every week
and arrange for its organist to render
for the children the best music In
their best style?
aThe music period should not be
more than an hour. The program
should be arranged for the young
people. The older people should OF
course be admitted, but as the guests
Of the children
"An children, the poor and rich
alike, should be invited and made feel
welcome. There should be no formal
ity. 1t should be easy for newsboys,
messenger boys, shop girls, boys and
girls from the mills, and children at
play on the street. to go Immediately
from their occupations, listen to the
music for all or a portion of the hour.
and return directly again to their
occupations or play.
'The cost to the church for this
hour of music should not be much in
any case Most organists VIII no
doubt be willing to give this addition
al service for a nominal increase in
pay. Churches are built for use. Ger
tainIy, any congregation might well
undertake the necessary small ex-
pense even for the selfish reason OF
attracting to the church children who
will thus be induced to become men,
bers OF the congregation.
High Moral Value.
mo one who knows children and
older boys and girls, and who also
knows the educative power of good
music, can doubt for a moment the
moral and spiritual value which this
hour must have for the present and
future lives of those who may come
under its influence.
ain the name of $1,000 900 boys and
girls, / appeal to pastors, priests, or
ganists, and officers of the churches TO
give this suggestion a fair trial.
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