Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-22
NJ u S I c.
BY HELEN FETTER.

There certainly could not be a
finer object than the helping of
the association to raise a fund
that will give solid foundation to
carry on this colony founded by
Edward Mcdowell and sustained
by persistent, unflagging effort on
the part of Mrs. Mcdowell, in
spite of much illness and other
obstacles, to give opportunity for
young American talent in all the
arts.
The newest organization formed
in the interest of American
music for Americans is the Ste
phen Foster Society. Lorraine
Foster, a singer, who is of the
same family. heads the group of
musical folk who have launched
this society recently, with an in
augural program presented in the
auditorium of the Home making
Center Of the New York State Fed
Grafton of WomenS Clubs, Grand
Central Palace, New York City.
DR.. Otto Kinkeldey, chief of the
music division of the New Yori:
Public Library, presided. Arthur
Billings Hunt, muSicologiSt, illus
trated the beginnings of American
music. Harold Vincent Milligan.
director of the National Music
League and biographer of Stephen
roster, gave a sketch of the COM
poser. Miss Foster contributed
group of Fosters songs and two
unpublished melodies from the
Kentucky mountains. American
musical antiquities also were on
display.
1t is the plan of this most re-
cent sponsor for the DEVELOPMENT
and exploitation of American folk
music collections to bring the mu-
sic before American audiences bv
actual performance as well as in
the more academic form of print
ed material. Miss Foster gives as
basic principle of the organi-
zation the encouragement of in
itiative and the working out of ma
tive themes. She says, in part:
Americas musical life has been
too dependent on the works of the
Old World. America must turn
to her folk songs, her folk lore.
her native sources and build an
American music, as has every ma
ton OF the earth. In this activity
our schools are of utmost impor-
lance. It is impossible to estimate
the service American educational
institutions can perform for Amer
lean music, by keeping our own
music before u.s."
This is all very true and worthy,
perhaps. However, who that is
really musical would find the
values and appreciate them in
American music who did not
possess the background of the
many European works that have
come as the heritage of the
American people? AS Glinka and.
later, the Russian Five helped to
establish the backbone for music
recognized by the world as great
music inspired by Russia; as Bach.
Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms,
Schumann and Wagner have
placed varied German musical
standards for their country; as
PaleStrina, Scarlatti, and-leaping
a chaSm-Respighi, and Malipiero
have emphasized the outline of
music in italy, so it is to be hoped
that MacDowell, Stephen Foster
and Charles Critics have been
among those planting the sign
posts for the development of an
eventual music that is native to
America. Even Mr.. Fosters most
popular and lasting songs, how
ever, are original and not merely
dreSsed-up folk melodies. Such is
the really lasting music of any
country, although the folk
melodies frequently play a very
definite part in providing the ele-
mental frame upon which inspira-
ton NAV hang a glorious mantle