Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-05
MUSIC ROOM CHATS

qualified, the music instructor has
been ignored and left to compete as
best he can with horde of incom-
petents that swarm in every music
center from coast to coast.
"The qualified music teacher should
have the same recognition and the
same protection as the qualified law
yer, surgeon or dentist"
The Musical Courier has promised
nine months subscription to Music
Room Chats with the hope that at the
end of that period they may become
paid-up subscribers. The beggar who
asked explained that the Douglas
Music club was trying to build rec
ognition Of Americas music and mu-
sicians.
Mrs. George Motz, one of the very
accomplished soloists and teachers Of
piano, of the Douglas Music club, was
too i'll to appear on the program for
Mrs. James Douglas st. Cecelias
Guild benefit Friday night
A copy of Sones, Canciones Y. Cor
ridos MichoacanoS, an arrangement of
national airs in duets and solos for
the voice, and piano solos, by Fran
cisco Dominguez, representing the de-
partment of education of Mexico, has
been sent the president of the music
club by the consul Of Mexico Juan
Marshall. This is a courtesy the music
club greatly appreciates and marks
the pleasurable fellowship existing be-
tween the border cities.
A most interesting article appears in
the Literary Digest Of Jan. % on For
Better Church Music" Lack of space
curtails the entire article, but por-
ton appears:
For Better Church Music"
Better anthems are in demand by
a number of choirmaSters, which, says
G. D. Atkinson, who is himself
choirmaster, is an encouraging sign.
He is glad to note that there are at
last churches which are becoming tired
of cheap volumes of anthems, cer-
tain monthly choir periodicals and the
like with which, he says, our country
has been flooded for years Bome ct
this material may occasionally be
good he writes in The Presbyterian
Banner, but most of it has patheti-
cally few claims to literary, musical or
service value One would naturally
apply such adjectives as "lnslpld,
catchy" or, in the case of mucn OF
this imported Sunday school music
frankly ''jazzy''.' And, as Mr.. Atkin-
son notes:
"It is not reasonable to expect that
music which is born in such an at
mosphere of commercialiSn, and writ
ten by men and women who have such
scant claim to ability of any sort,
could possibly supply that very neces-
sarv atmosphere of devotional uplift
that one looks for in the musical part
of a church service. And 1T is m
creasingly evident that, not only our
choirs but also our congregations, are
becoming sensitive to this fact. am
sure. too. that our ministers have
long been conscious Of a barrenneSS
and ineffectiveness in much OF the
church music in present-day cnolr
repertories. To make matters worse,
many churches have gone through ana
are now going through hectic perloo
of trying to put on music tnaC VIII
"draw." I received a letter from e
good friend of mine the other day
and in it he said: 'The sooner our
neople wake up to the fact that we
Should come to church to worship
and not to be entertained, the sooner
will they be able to command the at
tention and respect OF the young
people they are trying SO hard &c
reach We cannot and should not at
tenopt to compete with other forms
If entertainment.' That seems like q
Esearching arraignment and dlIlcnl.
ideal to reach, but wonder III
may be right, after all.
".Anthems by such fine old masters
az Palestrina, Purcell Byrd, Boyce
BLOW. crotch, Farrant, Gibbons, Tallis
lTve and Bach, are again coming mt
marked favor, as also are the work.
of a number of our modern men, pu
of these more anon. Writers OF tn'
old school, such as the above-men
/ toned. were not only among the yer!
hest musicians who have ever writer
for the church, but most of them were
connected in some very lntlmate wa.
+. with it's offices and services. Inc;
loved it, and wrote, not "pot-polle.s
for commercial gain, but sincere oe'
votional settings of texts from tn'
SCRIPTURES and well-known hymns. IN
| net result in beautiful music set !
beautiful words, and all aglow VIII
the true spirit of church music at II
very best
An invitation memorial under Per
sonal Glimpses" in the Literary Diges
for an. IA on the negro musician
Blind Boone, is too lengthy for Musl
pnn,,, Chats hut is well worth read