The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-06
M EN, w o M FEN
 AND T H l N C s

 one who has lived here since the sos would set out the story of Birmingham's s musical advance. l would undertake 1t, but l left the city for quite awhile, and am unfamiliar with the facts.
 I think Richard F. Johnston would be the best one to do it if he be so minded, for he has always been interested ln music, and knows the musical game daresay that only a few of his older friends know that at one time he gave that when we roomed together as young men he used to practice very faithfully.
 He was either playing some selection from one of the masters or was improviS- ing, l know not which, for while can usually place quotations in literature 1 have never been able to assign the airs hear to the operas from which they are taken. He asked me what impress sion the sound made on my mind, and 1 replied, The droning of bees,'' and he was pleased, because it vas their hum- ming he was trying to initiate.
 I suppose the first band ever organized was organized or sponsored by the Ely ton Land company. It was it's business to meet the incoming trains and give to the visitors the idea that they were com ing to real live town. It was largely a booster band, and I think was dis bc fret h,1S nm, sure that some of those who played in it would be bit embarrassed if any Of the old photographs could be resurTected think one of the things which had as much to do with cutivating the taste of the people to classical music was when Oliver Chalifoux and his charming bride | came to Birmingham to make it their home. The Caldwell hotel was then to the city what the Tutwier is at pres- ent They lived in it and during their the talk of the growing city. MT. Chal- | ifoux specialized on the violin and his l wife on the harp, the two with their artistic renderings doing much to fix the minds of the community on high class music.
 1 I'll not attempt to set down the or chestras, the bands, the church chors ! in detail, but will leave that 10 some one better posted. The growth in the church choirs would in itself make most interesting history. I remember with the greatest pleasure the leading ones before paid choirs came into vogue 1 Today Birmingham has some of the best Il choirs in all the south, and some of the musical programmes are really metro- politan in range and production.
 l It's long way from the wheezy little organs, which used ito be worked over- time in many of the churches in Birming hams early days, to the magnificent ones now installed in most of the leading bu. do know that the one placed in the | First Methodist church more than a quarter of a century ago was looked upon as the very last thing in organ build- ing. It sounds good to me yet; but there are quite a few now more up-to-date
 
 and the First Baptist church have only
 recently put in splendid instruments.
 I'll not elaborate here on the fine work
 of the Music Study club, or of any of the other musical organizations, save the community sing. It's this last addition to Birmingham which gave me the idea for this present write-up. General Mc- Cleery met me on the street last week
 and asked me if I would come down on
 Sunday afternoon to the Lyric and make
 take pa collection. My, what chance,
 love to talk but when I can combine
 it with collection my heart sings with ljoy.
 Some preachers are shy about taking a
 collection some do it in an apologetic
 way, and then every now and then you find one like George Stuart who simply
 glories in it. If you haven't been to the
 Methodist church to hear him preach,
 advise you to make a point of going
 sermons. for it's worth any one's time tc
 be present and see him lift collection. He just bubbles over with good humor
 and makes it impossible for any old grouch to keep his hands in his pocket.
 Secretary McCleery of the community sing did not know just what joy he was giving his Rotarian brother when he asked me to aid and abet him in get ting the audience to contribute to the support of the organization. think, however that ! deserve some credit for } not springing the standardized joke On } the crowd about the old negro who com plained to his boss that his second wife l Twas pestering him to death for money. , It was money when he sat down for , breakfast. It was money when he came home for supper, It was money when he l went to bed and when he got up. Finally ! his boss said: Uncle Nose. what does } she do with all you give herr" To De } told, T ain't give her mono yit."
 I tried to get by without springing the
 oldest one of all. The one which has } been used by hundreds, yes thousands , of ministers throughout the land. The
 one which never fals. however. to gc 5 some to some and make everybody laugh It's tho one in which the old tight-wac
 boasted that he had been enjoying re- ltsxs4