Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-02-29

The audience also even exceeded
expectations. As rule piano re-
cital is considered the most uf1at-
tractive of all rccitals, but it was
evidently not considered so with
Josef Hoffman,, the artist, for the
Brandeis theater was packed from
pit to roof. The stage was full, with
not vacant seat to be seen, and
people were standing at the back on
the first floor and in the gallery.
1t was not only the enormous size
OF the audience which was unusual,
but its enthusiasm, an event in Oma-
ha, especially when that enthusiasm
kept everyone for number of extra
encores at the close. The Tuesday
Musical club is to be congratulated
upon being the first for SO many
years to bring Josef Holman to
Omaha, and there are many who
will look forward to more frequent
future appearances of this great
artist.
The National Week of Song
closes today, with special music in
some of the churches as a sort of
fitting climax. The National Week
of Song was a movement started
some few years ago in connection
with community work, and the idea
of community singing has spread
rapidly, aided in great part by the
invaluable service music during the
war. The National Week of Song
is designed to call attention to the
pleasure of music, in the home, in
the. community, and as an art as
wei as pastime.
A little squib in one of the pa
pers a few days ago said that the
woman who used to sing at her
work now has a daughter who nags
i1er maid" The pity of it is it some,
times is too true. 1t is very easy toll
grumble and think Of all ones woes,
when one has little extra time on
hand, and doesn't know quite what
to do with it. But the National
Week of Song calls attention to the
fact that in the meantime we might |
as we'll sing little, to cheer our
selves up and to see what fun there
is in getting together in making and
hearing musical sounds. There is a
plan on foot to make something
permanent of the results in Omaha
Of the National Week of Song, and
this should not be allowed to fall
through. Many would be willing to
sing and would enjoy singing for a
little time now and then if the op-
portunity were offered. People are
willing 10 sing and to sing artistic
ally if a good leader suggests it.
The enjoyment of music is relative
and may be found in the
simplest as we'll as the most intri-
cate types, according to ones indi-
vidual tastes. By encouraging the
best folk songs, and national songs.
and doing ones best in singing them
one has had little share
in the encouragement Of all music as
IN art and pleasure.
The church organists of St. Louis
have struck. The meeting of the
was called under the aus
pices of the Missouri chapter of the !
Guild of Organists. and
was attended by about so church
According to the musical
leader, William John Hall, former
dean Of the Missouri chapter A. G.
D., said: IF the churches will not
2ay you adequate salaries to meet
the, increased cost of living, go
10 the moving picture houses to earn
your livelihood. The movies are
perfectly legitimate places for the
exercise of your art, they have as
good organs as the churches and
the managers expect to pay for
ability. ! am not advocating giving
up church work, but if you have to
make your living as organists you
cannot do it in the churches in St.
Louis unless you earn an adequate
income by some other means. The
churches want good programs to +
attract the crowds. from the movies,
and yet they do not think it peces-
sary to pay the people who furnish
the music more than a mere pit
tance."
People do not usually realize that
an organist has had to have years
and years of musical training be-
fore he can be an organist worthy
Of the name. He must study piano
and harmony as we'll as organ. He
mas not only invested his time prac-
icing and learning the literature Of
the organ, but he has invested a
great deal of money. He has had
music to buy, and great many
music lessons to pay for, and in
most cases has had to pay for the
use of an organ in some nice, cbld,
lark, damp church to practice on.
And he must have all of this paid +
IN advance before he gets any re-
urn on his investment.
But people do not see behind the
scenes in church. They only see
he organist at the organ during the
services on Sunday, playing a little
pretty music and few simple
hymns. Surely Ire can't expect much
'ay for that. Why. most of them
would be, only too glad to do it for
lothing, it they could.
It was stated that the present
'Aaries of organists ranged from a
maximum of from s., 200 to 1850 a I
rear, which was paid in two or three
II the largest churches in st. Louis,
lown to $40 a month in some, with
n average around $500 year. E.
&. Kroeger, head Of the Kroegcr
school OF Music, said that in
.husehaa os~.s~ A.. 1890. Ng non !.