New-York tribune., 1919-12-17
Appreciation at a Discount
When Christmas Hymns
of American Negroes Are
Heard in Carnegie Hall
Gaelic Death Groom Sung
Curious CcremoniesReca
to Mind by Rendition of
Characteristic Folksongs
By II. f. krehbiel

No one who has intelligent low. 70,
'hc fne things in music needs to be
told that the concerts of the Musica
Art Society arc not like any of the
scores of symphony concerts or tn,
hundreds of vocal and instrumental re.
c'tals which arc given to the public OF
New York every. season. These con.
certs are separate and apart from then
all and as unique in their offerings
as in their performance.
In twentysiX years they have suf
tered interruption for only one season
that of 191S-1919- as their an.
peal was directed only to a congrega.
tion of the elect instead of to the
strangely mixed masses which now
thronG our concert rooms on all man
ner OF occasions, the loss was felt ONLY
by the artistically minded remnants
musical arlstocracy like that for which
the best of our chamber concerts eXer.
clse an exclusive attraction. The fact
IS dcplorable, of course, but natural
One may affect a love for a Beethoven
symphony or a heeting. focculent or.
chestral fancy by Debussy and find
ones self In numerous company; tc
affect admiration for the polyphonie
tonal interwearings Of the sixteenti
century masters of ecclesiastical music
would be folly, for it would awaken nc
sll!y hypocrltical response. The poseu1
would be lonesome.
Love for Pure REQUIRED
Sincerely TO appreciate such music
demands understanding and an innate
love for the high and pure things in
the art. Frequent hearing might bring
enlightenment, but for such edifica-
ton neither our churches nor our CON
cert rooms afford opportunity.
The offerings are costly, for the
singers must be more than ordinarily
proficient and gifted and the training
long and arduous. We have no tradi-
tlons coming down to us from the CEN
turies, like those the fruits of which
we recently enjoyed when the Vatican
Choristers visited us, and growth in
appreciation as we'll as performance
must be slow.
When Dr. Frank Damrosch and his
Musical Art Society began their lovely
mInisfratlons more than quarter Of
century ago they laid stress chiefly
upon the old a capela music of the
Church.. This policy was gradually
modified. though it has always been
measurably respected in both of the
two annual concerts given respectively
IN the Christmas and Easter tides.
In the concert given in Carnegie Hail
last night after a seasons interregnum
there WAS but one piece of church,
music of the classic tvpe-a setting
Of the "Magniicat' for double chorus
by Palestrina. There were other pieces
of sacred music, bur it was Of differ
ent character
Lovely Musical Expressions
A "Salve regina by Schubert; an
"Adoramus te," by Mozart, and set
ting by Cesar Franck of naive hymn,
LA Nierge Il la Creche." were lovely
musical expressions Of tender and in
dividual religious sentiment.
Two Christmas songs of the folk
song type, their words and melodies
noted from the lips of negro singers
from our own South, and arranged for
a choir of mixed voices by Natalie
Curtis were again in different case
an experiment in adapting folksong to
an artistic use These songs invite
more attention than they could receive
in conventional concert report, espe~
cially because of their association in
the program with a more elaborate at
Tempt to give artlStc lnvestlturc to a
folksong from the Hebridcs. This last
vas an arrangement by Granville Ban
.ock of death Groom" taken down
rom the singing of an old native Of
he Isle of Eigg and first given to the
world by Mrs. Marjory Kennedy
eraser and Kenneth Macleod in their
book, Songs of the Hebrides," which
he Gaelic editor has made equally
'aluablc to the student of folklore and
he lover of folk music
Mr.. Bantock, besides arranging it
'or voices as it was sung last night,
las, we believe, utilized its short, but
expressive theme in his "Hebridean
Symphony which was published by
one of the numerous Carnegie funds
a year or more ago in London.
Food for Discussion
Here we have suggested so much
'ood for discussion that we cannot