Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-04
THE CRITIC TALKS
TO MUSIC LOVERS
Weekly Comment on Things
Musical in Discriminating
Philadelphia

TIME campaign for 81 900 900 for the
i endowment fund of the Philadelphia
Orchestra started in fine style at the
luncheon given at the Ritz Carlton on
Monday afternoon and is now well
under way. 1t is most earnestly to be
hoped that the members of the various
working committees will have little
difficulty in raising the necessary
amount, as it is essential for the con
tinued existence of the Orchestra on us
preseut. high plane that the sum be
raised and raised at once.
Mr.. Box, as chairman of the endow-
ment fund committee, stated the case
truly when he said that it is now
matter not of helping tn, eorchestra
but of saving it. The men and women
who have so generously made up the
deficits during the past twenty years
now find themselves unable TO continue
it on the same liberal scale as hereto
fore. and it is absolutely necessary Tor
the public, to whom the Orchestra be
longs. to take over its support.
That the Philadelphia Orchestra is
tremendous commercial asset TO the
city is a fact that cannot be contro-
vrrted. When Boston arrogatcd to her
self the position as the music center
of the United States it created lot
of fun, but it was her orchestra, then
unquestionably the best and one OF the
very few permanent ones in the coun-
try that kent the title from being
utterly ridiculous. The cards are now
on the table and it is up to the people
of Philadelphia as whole to say what
they will do.
THE saving of the Orchestra is not
L the lob of few men; it is the job
of the city at large and the little tel
| lows as well as the big ones must help
| 1t is fine thing to be able and wiling
to give large sum toward the main
tenance of this fine body of artists, but
! because this is impossible to most per
sons is no reason at all why every one
interested in music should not do what
he can toward the furtherauce of this
most worthy cause.
1t would be infinitely better for
every one concerned If the amount
needed could be raised in comparatively
small subscriptions. The advantages ot
! this plan are so obvious as to make IT
almost unnecessary to point them out
In the first place. the greater the
number of subscriptions. the greater the
number of persons who have direct
and personal interest in the Orchestra.
and this. in the last analysis. is what
every art depends upon for its exist =.
ence. The same idea of the personal
interest of their audiences would eN-
tend also to the officers and the mem
bers of the Orchestra. with the best pos p
sible results all around.
DUT there is another and far more
- important and potent reason for
those members of the community who
cannot afford to give much to the on -
dowment fund to give what they can.
That is the tremendous moral effect
upou other cities. whether or not they
have ambitions to be considered art and
music centers. And at this time the
American city without such ambitions
is rare.
During the gerat war il was not
the enormous sums of money raised by
the American Red Cross nor the free
dom with which it was spent for worthy
objects that excited the wonder oi
Europe and especially of Germany. but
it was the nationwide character of the
persons who gave that money. Vast
as was the total amount contributed. II
would still have been possible for n
number of the wealthiest men to have
given it. But when more than 0,O0O.
600 Americans joined the organization
each paying his dollar as q condition
of membership, il presented to all the
world the spectacle of nation solidly
united and standing fcmly behind its
soldiers and sailors. and the effect ot
this upon the German civilian morale
was tremendous.
Now. this orchestra question presents
a somewhat analogous situation. A few
rich men of the city could save the Or
schestra and thus be in the position O
having practically presented it to the
city. but if our citizens stand solidlS
behind il and really want the Orchestri
TO continue. as they undoubtedly do. il
is far better for them to save it them
selves 1t will be an easy thing to d,
If the people as whole are really in
terested in the organization and in il
continued we'll being.
TIME coming visit of the Vatican
l. choirs is exciting much interest il
PHILADELPHIA music circles. For 1GO(
wears these chOirs have not sung outsid,
of the Vatican. and it will give us tn,
opportunity of hearing the real musi,
of the Catholic Church sung as it i,
performed before the chief dignitarie'
of that church. an opportunity that has
never before been afforded to this city
MANY of the great composers wer,
Cotbolica and most of them wrote NOR,
! or less voumnously for their church
beginning with Hasdn. although h
was by no means the originator of it
this music largely took the form o
chorus with orchestral a. compartment
but this type of composition was rarel
if ever used in the Vatican services
where the older and more strict poly
nhonic style was the rule. There tn
: singing was and is done mainly withou
: accompaniment, the kind of singing il
t which the human voice always shows t,
the hest advantage. This style of singin