The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-05
GROWING NEED FOR
COMMUNITY sings

w UjUuU
War Only Served I Prove Their
VaMeSings Have Developed
in Many ways.
One of the popular slogans heard
during the great war was tina "a sing
ing army means a victorious army
This is not exaggerated. Nothing
helped to maintain the morale OF the
army and the confidence Of thosC at
home so much as community sing
ing. In every city, town and hamlet
throughout. the United States. organ
ICED singing conducted by the war
camp community service during the
year and a half of the mighty strug-
gle upheld the spirits of the people
and cheered the defenders of the ma
ton.
While music undoubtedly hath
charms to sooth the savage breast 1t
likewise encouraged men to be fear
less when facing death in hurnanitYs
cause. Countless stories are being told
as the men come back from overseas
of the cheer and inspiration that sing
ing has brought to them in critical
moments. or when long hours OF in
activity and waiting have seriously
dulled their ~crusading spirits.
The community sings" as they
have come to be called. ave been held
in every part of the country, since the
war. Everywhere the people recos-
nized and welcomed the opportunity
to get together and sing the songs
which brought them closer to each
Other and instilled a fine spirit OF pa
triotism.
Now that the war is over the value
of community singing has increased
instead of diminished. The war only
served 10 prove the value of the ex-
pertinent. Nothing has produced sc
many and instantaneous results az
| community singing. Singing never
failed to inspire patriotism during thf
| many liberty loan camp aigns or pro
mote the cause of any of the war char
tiles. Singing comforted the anxious
! mothers and wives who were left be
! hind and soiaced the brave men who
| went overseas. Its psychological
value during the anxious months
through which the country has passed
has been incalculable.
II is interesting to narrate the rnanS
different ways community singing IA:
been developed during the last year
In the camps the soldiers have gath
| cred night after night. when off duty
and, led by some ardent and enthu'
siastic community leader. have suns
everything from the national an
them TO the latest Jazz song that made
them think of the last dance with th'
! girl they left behind them.
It's popularity soon spread outside
the camps and it became a fixture a
! community meetings in school cen
tiers OF at any community gathering
In fact, it has become SO firm a fix
ture that new ways and means arr
now being devised to spread It's cheer
ing influence throughout the coun
try.
During the Christmas season, unde'
the direction OF community sin;
leaders, groups were formed in va
rious cities and towns to sing OF
Christmas eve outside of every honl'
honored by a service flag.
Philadelphia was n of the hrs
cities TO institute group singing il
factories and Offices throughout TIL
city. Christmas carols We're, o
course, the kind OF music encourage
at this time.
In Omaha. the Fort Omaha Gle
club was organized at the for
through the efforts Of communal,
service workers. So enthusiastic al
the soldiers become owe the projec
that $50 officers and enlisted men be
came member Of the club and CAV
numerous concerts and sings a
through the surrounding country.
One OF the greatest communit
sings was given In Mechanics hall
Boston, where President lately ad
dressed the country upon his returi
Fro~ France Summarized nv tbs .RnS
ton chamber OF as wei
as the W. c. c. S, this occasion wa
CALI I'd the International Music fes
tivaI. The hall was literally jamme'
with enthusiastic singers who cam
from Boston and its surrounding
suburb.
The signing OF the armistice cause
an expected relaxing of discipline il
the military and naval camps. TIL
diminishing morale. which for a shor
time aroused deep oncer among OF
fcers. was quickly revived by the in
spring influence Of singing.
Within the past wee Mayor Nc
Kenra, of Edgewood. n. J., ha
named a committee of prominent citi
zens Of the town to create a perna
Bent community chorus, Englewoo
is near Camp Merritt. y. j., v;hic
now contains one OF the large hos
/. pitfalls and is also a demobilizatio
camp, Community service worker
are very active there in looking afte
the returning soldiers. Communit
singing has been found to he c
the most welcome of all amusement
and re~iaxations for the officers an
men.
Singing in the assembly rooms A
the opening of the school day is on
of the Innovations created by III
president of the school board in lie
onia. N. j.. which is adjacent 10 En-
glewood. Every morning the chi
dren are led by a community servic
conductor. The children's enthusI
asm has aroused a similar interest i
the adults,
theatrical managers who SCENE
Indifferent at first regarding the pro
priety of singing in their theater
have been won to the Idea almos
unanimously everywhere. In score
OF theaters and moving picture thea
tiers throughout the country com
mun.ty singing is a feature OF tn
nightly performance. The idea I
also slowly but surely working int
clubs and fraternal organizations.
Liberty sings were recently mel,
with great success in Worcester