Evening star., 1934-01-21

Karlash, said to be a singer of
ssinger, an American, who has
written beautiful and impressive music
Although a musical drama without con-
traSting moments of brightness, it is
work that for long time held its own
with the public and perhaps. hearing
it again, a greater appreciation and
understanding will .esult of the
great and suffering genius that was
Tschaikowskv.
This week end will be devoted to
American folk music when John Powell
will play a composition Of his based on
Negro melodies with the National SYM
pnony Orchestra next Sunday and when
other musical events, planned for the
two days preceding his appearance as
soioist, will be devoted to the folk music
If which he has made great research
and for which he IS considered an au-
thority. Mr.. Powell conducted a course
In folk music this past Summer during
the time of the White Top Mountain
Folk Festival. An interesting review of
the work done last Summer has beeil
sent to this depar nent by Florence
Howard and is particularly apropoS at
this time for this small local festival
Of the same music Mrs Howard writes:
"A unique and thrilling experience oc-
CURED during the first part of August,
down in the Valley OF Old Virginia,
when group Of musicians. folk-loristS
and writers came together to attend the
classes in folk music under John Powell
and to enjoy the White Top Mountain
Folk Festival.
The lectures and lessons were de-
voted to the study of the rich Anglo
Saxon and continental background of
cur own American heritage. Mr.. Powell
briefly reviewed the days of Henry the
VIII, when the War of the Roses broke
up the feudal estate of England and
when the Ministries rushed up to Lon
don Town to sing their ballads. He
touched on the Puritan disapproval of
balladry. the restoration period when
the upper classes demanded so much
music that continental importations
were made.
1T was left for Cecil Sharpe. an
Engllshman, to discover many of these
lost ancient themes and to found the
English Folk Song Society This hap
pened only 40 years ago Sharpe knew
that much of what he wanted was not
in England. so he came to America
and claimed to have discovered here
about 1900 songs brought over by our
own British ancestors. 1t was from
him that Mr. Powell had his inspira-
ton to follow that line of discovery
| and from all of these old tunes to re-
store the old modal system of scales.
Many tunes to be heard at the
/ White Top Festival were played before
the class either by Mr.. Powell. on the
piano, or by his able co-folklorist
These tunes were analy0ed as to mode
and rhythm and in this way the ear
was familiarized with the unusual
cadences Of the mountain melodies.
During Friday and Saturday morn
ing the contestants in balladry. hd-
ding, banjo playing and dancing gave
their numbers before the judges. Sat-
urday afternoon Mrs. Roosevelt arrived
and presented the prizes to the winners
Then followed a program of the best
music these folk had to offer intro
duced and presented by Mr.. Powell
One listened to Jack Reedy's 'Cluck
Old Hen on his banjo one heard Mrs
Texas GLADDEN. sing Three Little
Babes, and you we're surprised at the
sweet tones of the dulcimer when Mr..
Russell. Marion's maker of these
parties Retreat
we heard both instrumental and
| NUtdl lie instruments USED
were of two kinds, the melodic. such as
the pipes and fiddles and the nom
melodic, such as the banjo. Fiddle play
ing by these mountaineers is not violin
playing. The fiddle is held low to the
body with short bowing, producing a
whirring vibration under the strings.
Il Is practically impossible for the
trained violinist to initiate the fiddler
as it is for trained singer to sing in
the natural fashion of the mountain
singer.
"The dances of the mountaineers are
the country dances and the Morris and
sword dances All country dances are
| in major keys-not in the mode-and
are social. They are danced by an in
dividual either young or old and until
either dancer or band is ready to drop
"The vocal music is divided into three
groups. all done in the mode the bal
lad, narration very impersonal and of
many verses; the song an emotional
and subjective piece of music; the play
or nursery tune and counting songs.
We think of folk music as very simple,
but try to record one of these tunes.
You may have difficulty with the mel
ody but that is nothing compared to
the rhythmS, The Ballad Of Barbara
Allen" one of the most famous, has
many changes of rhythm. Circular tunes
are played over and over, one verse into
another without end.
white Top was a spectacle never to
| be forgotten The mountain sides were
| covered with autos. trucks, people and
tents, for nearly all stayed through the
night watching the mountaineers
dance"