Evening star., 1927-05-08
Nj i S &c
BY HELEN FETTER.

OF a man such as Mr.. Williamson
have real. vital value OF course, one
OF the most practical and effective
things about Mr.. Williamson i'll his
work is his absolute insistence upon
numerous and concentrated re-
| hearsals. There is nothing halt
done about his preparation of the
choral numbers by. his choir; that IS
one OF its finest points. 1T IS an old
truth that a singer. or instrumental
ist. or a group of performers who
practice frequently will give much
better performance than even more
talented musicians who neglect that
r-important factor. 1t has be-
come the mode to try and get up
musical entertainments without suttl =
cient foundation and practice and to
try and do a program that is only
partially prepared. This superficial
way of putting on a concert program
has caused more people III that vast
entertainment-loving group known
as the general public to turn against
musical performances than any one
other factor. 1t has hurt the cause
of music and belittled its possibili-
ties. The sooner performers realize
that even personal friends prefer to
hear them perform only that which
they have learned and inwardly di
gested so that they can command
the work performed completely, the
better for the development OF local
musical endeavors.
THERE are many publications of
i help and interest to brighten
the performances by amateurs IN
music. One of the books that has
been published within the past few
months is Gilbert and Sullivan at
Home" This work contains the COM
plete stories and most popular songs
of the Joint works of these two in
spired writer's of light opera. 1t is
published by Appleton & Company
and is the sort of book that should
prove most useful for school chill
dren, Y. w. c. A. work and similar
endeavors.
The Interstate Male Chorus is to
put on it's all Sullivan program again
Saturday night. The professional
stage productions of "Iolanthe" and
Pirates of Penzance" that gave such
real JOY in the perfection of every
detail of the productions, are the
best and most eloquent plea for more
musical programs in the English
language. Time is changing condi-
1f4
much classical music always most
appropriately sung in the native lam
guage, which is foreign tongue to
United States citizens, the day of
the popularity of musical endeavors
in English is surely climbing toward
its noon-tide. With it the exactions
of clean-cut diction and more atten-
ton TO perfecting all details of pro-
duction cannot be over-empha asized.
THE most unusual story heard in
L long time about Ignace Pader-
ewski, the Polish pianist. who has
been statesman and many other
things as we'll as an artist. tells of
how at Honolulu, when he landed
there in February to give concert,
he was searched by the customs men
for a liquor flask. Honolulu almost
lost Paderewski's concert When
the search began, Mr.. Paderewski is
reported to have said, This is i'm
possible. / will go back to the ship"
However, the investigators were re-
assured and Mr.. Paderewski recon-
ciled. Later he was presented with
very unusual example of the
ukulele. an instrument valued at sew
eral hundred dollars and constructed
TO produce the bell Tone" which its
maker. George Paele Mossman, says
he has achieved after IS years of ex-
Fermentation, and that it was in
spired by Paderewski. The pianist
is quoted as having said: This
touches me deep in the heart: | shall
always treasure this beautiful gift"
It is not mentioned as to whether
or not Paderewski will include
ukulcle selections in coming concerts.
THE American Indian and negro
= melodies have been used fire.
quently as thematic material for
musical composition. Also they are
given in folk music form, with in
| creasing popularity. The newest
folk music to attain this dignity is
Eskimo folk songs. Some of these
were introduced in a program OF
French Canadian. Indian and Eskimo
numbers given recently in New York
City ~ Juliette Gaultier. Vilhalmur
Stefansson. the famous Arctic
explorer and lecturer. spoke on
the mentality, language, religion,
folk lore and folk songs of the Eski-
mos, especially of the Copper River
region. There also was especially de-
signed scenic background, made by
w. Langdon kim, whose depictions
of Indian life have made him famous
in the United States and Canada
The singer, who used original Ian
guages and dialects, is herself a
descendant of Pierre Gaultier de la
Verendrye, the French explorer, who
| traverSed the Western prairies in
1889 and was the first white man to
view the Rocky Mountains (at least
according to reports).
1t seems to the writer that such
program would have special appea'
to Summer audience. provided the
singer didn't mind the costumes
| heat.
Oba Jan Gibson. lyric: Anna Dom
IL Il. . yr