Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-01
MUSICAL WAVE
SWEEPS COUNTRY
Cities Aid in Spreading Work
Throughout the Smaller
Communities

Within the past two years a great
wave of musical impulse seems to
nave been sweeping through the
communities of many of the cities
and towns throughout the country.
This impulse has manifested itself
! chiefly through the forming of large
com munity Choruses such as the
one in New York under Harry Barn
harts leadership. Some of these
choruses have numbered several
thousai / participants in giving per-
Iormances of the choral works of the
great masters. This work is aIwavs
accompanied by tremendous en-
thusiasm on the part of the per-
formers
NOW with music so much in the
forefront of daily life, it is interest
ing 10 compare musical conditions at
the present time as they are to be
round in the average American viii
lase, with those of the larger towns
and cities. The writer has been in
a position to make observation along
these lines and has found that the
lacts acquired, favor the cities de-
cldedly and show the tremendous
amount of work yet to be done for
ne musical benefi of the small viii
lagos.
Aside from community singing as
FACTOR In the musical growth of the
ciIles' these same places have long
offered rich opportunity for a pen2
eral musical development and enioy-
ment among their inhabitants.
opera and concerts of every variety
nave mere been given, and enjoyed by
even those of moderate income. For
tunately, there have been civic move
lnehts on loot which have established
the GIVING of concerts in large halls
III winter and in the public parks in
summer. These concerts have been
many and of high character. and
nave been given at a small cost of
admission when not entirely free.
some other phases of urban musi-
cal life are the music clubs. the mu-
slcal departments in the many wo-
mems clubs throughout the country
and the conservatories and music
schools. Many of the latter rival
IKE institutions of Europe in the eX-
cellence of their teachers.
Emphasized by Contrast
In most cases the investigation in
villages has brought out the lack of
music more clearly because of its
sharp contrast to the supply of mu-
sic in the cities. The people living
IN these scattered places have very
rev musical advantages and often
times none at all.
concerts, save now and then a poor
one outdoors in summer by q visit
ing band, are seldom heard: music
in the churches is at a low. artistic
ebb; but few of the congregations
1oin the hymn singing. and there is
no choir save the helper" organist
VINO attempts to play the organ.
Musical instruments in the home are
not uncommon. but musical perform
ers IN the family are few and far be-
tween and usually of little training.
community singing is a stimulus
quite unknown save perhaps througb
the newspaper. The harvesters'
song is no more heard in the fields
nor is the boy heard who whistles
at the plow."
What is being done about all this
musical poverty of the small villages?
snail 1t continue to exist, or shall we
utilize to the fullest the many WAYS
by which the joys of music can he
brought to them in some full sense
Great Work For Music Clubs
The music clubs have been doing
a great good in this direction, but
this vast field is still comparatively
undeveloped. This is a question on
which the clubs should concentrates
in order to devise all possible means
to make felt in the small towns and
villages in their respective yicinities
the full importance and necessity of
community music in all its phases :
the chorus, the orchestra = even If
very small ones, - bands, etc. The
resulting relaxation and variety of
dinary monotony of village Iifel
would make community music a wei
come addition.
The time is surely ripe for more
active propaganda than ever TO bet-
ter the existing conditions, and Ger
tainly If bettered. these Conditions
would soon bring untold enjoyment
OF music TO many a human beings in
our land as we'll as be a powerful aid
to the higher development of tbe
American people as a whole.