The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-09
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

The study of audiences has always had a fascination for me. A man who is a master of assemblies has it within his power to wfeld a mighty influence for good or bad.
 It's gift, and few men have the DOW CT, but those who have 1t generally go far in whatever line of endeayor they work. Some preachers are masters of re- ligious bodies and sway them nightly at win. Some statesmen are masters of po- litical conventions and sweep them off their feet; some directors are masters Of musical gatherings and lead men and women to the highest degree of musical fervor
 All this but to say that here in Bir- mingham we have a past master in mu- sical leadership in the person of Robert Lawrence, the man who has at last suc- ceeded in putting classical and popular music on the map in Birmingham never paid very much attention to him when he first came to town. I just set him down as 8 highbrow musician that would get certain vogue among a select coterie of musical artists, and therefore knew that our paths would seldom cross
 I met him socially and found him to be man of pleasing presence and charm ing personality, for he has the look and the bearing of man of culture and re- finement. I put him in the dilletante class and there is where I made big mistake. I ought to have been one of his helpers from the start
 
 He felt his way for awhile with his conservatory and surrounded himself with some artists of rare ability, but they catered to the exclusively musical set, and did not touch the real musical life of the people. It was good preparatory work. for he was getting a substantial following who realized his worth as an avant courier of better things in classical music in Birmingham.
 I next noted him as one capable of talk ing the raw material of our colleges and working 1t into fit shape for glee club concerts. His trips throughout the state with Rhe Howard College Glee club advertised himself and the college, for made quite reputation for their musi- cal ability wherever they went. He has the happy knack of getting a lot of hard practice out of bunch of coliegians and that shows he understands human na- tura
 But he only got my attention good and strong after he got the community sing ing going. I watched him at Capitol park I saw him take mass of timid, conservative, self-conscious people who had come out to be lockers on. without any thought of opening their mouths to sing, and in few weeks get thousands of old middf-eaged and young to really en- joy chorus work And before the outdoor season closed he had so led them that the open air singing was real Sunday afternoon musical treat that thousands looked forward to with great interest.
 
 Director Lawrence, tall and distin- | guished looking, Sunday afternoon after l Sunday afternoon has stood before thou sands in Capitol park and religious, pa- 1 triotic, and secular hymns have floated out on the air. It looked an easy thing 1 that he was doing, but those who were behind the scenes and knew the tact, per- air concerts possible realized that in the highest sense he was g public servant whose love for music was causing him to make great personal sacrifices in order to Five to the people of Birmingham a proper musical outlet.
 l He had first of all to handle the musical talent of the city with great diplomacy He then had to win the ear and the sup port of the municipal authorities He had to use wisdom in getting the proper publicity through the papers. He had te enlist the help of the public school prin. cipals and teachers. Hard as it was tt line up these and other forces, there wal yet the nckle public to win and handle
 
 Now, his ability in doing this was whai made me know that here in Birmingham ] at last a man had been found who haG the power to weld the people into a great civic enterprise in which all would bt willing to put aside religious. social, DO htical and commercial differences ant come together once a week in song an6 forget the things that kept them aparl during the week. This was enough to SC him apart from the crowd as man O genuine leadership.
 T It takes a man like Robert Lawrenc, to shake us out of our business and show us that play in the form of music Is ont of the best antidotes in the world for { man who Is getting stale in his profes sion or business believe in attention to business.
 It's mans part to try and mako fol himself . place of honor in the commer cial world and to build . homo in whicl culture finds . place. But man wh, limits his efforts merely to his homo an. his business has failed as citizen. ] A man who gets his living out of . com munity owes that community service Il some form or other. and if he has nj talents himself. It's up to him to hell others who have.
 l Now MT. Lawrence will be greatf surprised when he sees this in print
 am wriAng it after having attended tn community singing indoors at Loew' Bijou on Sunday afternoon. comics that was fearful that there would D a stiffness and formality that woul rob the people of the friendly air tha