Omaha daily bee., 1922-06-04
M h s ! G.
BY JEAN p. DUFPIELD,

the most lasting, The tales
We hear. the lessons We learn.
the books we read. the songs we
sing leave their imprint more clearly
IN the early years than do those
which follow later. and OF some the
mark is made so deep that the finger
OF time can never entirely erase il.
In particular our songs remain ia
the memory. for We sing them not
once but many times and the oit re-
peated burden becomes fastened in
our youthful minds with a grip that
dshes time, condition or varying for
tunes.
The writer OF these lines. well re-
members receiving long ago the gift
OF certain wonderful story book;
a story book all filled with mar
velous tales. poetry and pictures
And among these was a song. words
and melody with the notes printed
on a single staff and the whole j.
lrstra,ed with picture OF the robin
whose deeds the poem celebrated
and a small boy who. like Siegiried
III the Wagnsrian music drama, must
have tasted OF the dragons blood,
for he had power to understand the
meaning of the avian song.
The present musical editor OF The
Bee remembers being taught the
little piece, words and simple tune.
by his father, and now after many
years they are as fresh and clear in
his mind as on the day when FIRST he
learned them at his fathers knee;
not one word obliterated, nor one
detail lacking. How necessary It is.
in consideration of these facts. that
our young people should be taught
the best things in music; music
which is lofty in concept or en-
bodys some fine felicity OF express
sion and is worthy OF the per-
manency it thus inherits. And how
gratifying it is to find that in some
instances at least, this is exactly
what is happening.
Now we found this very condi-
ton obtaining at the Central High
school last week, when the Glee
clubs of the senior class united III
their annual concert. under the dl-
rection OF Carol NJ. Pitts. Be reas-
sured, kind reader, you are not to
be regaled with report OF the ex-
act amount OF dynamic energy ex-
pended on the climax of Gounods
motet, by Babylon's Wave" nor
yet with precise measurements OF
the breath required for the exquisite
antiphonal opening OF Nathaniel
Dett's unaccompanied part-song'
Listen to the Lambs" You are
not to be informed regarding
mathematical accuracy of attack, nor
do we bring any stop-watch reter..
endum relative to the sounding OF
final consonants, though any or all
of these subjects would readily stand
critical investigation.
More to the point is the fact that
each song on the program had
perfectly good and valid reason tor
being there, through some attribute
of plaintiveness. or humor, or
melodic, rhythmic or dramatic in
terest; that each number was thor
oughly learned and sung from
memory: that there was not only
technical correctness, but likewise
due consideration OF the emotional
content of poetry and music. The
boys were heard in separate mum.
bers; likewise the girls and one OF
the sopranos contributed two solo
numbers in excellent vocal style and
with understanding OF their signiti-
cance.
Now these young people have
been enriched by these experiences.
They have acquired access to
wealth which will always be avail
able in the years to come. They
have come into intimate touch with
the workings of master minds to
the great advantage of their own
and they possess possibilities for
psychological pleasures not dreamed