Evening star., 1936-04-18

in its compilation Of Music His
tory of the United States" The offer,
made through Phyllis Fergus Hoyt,
who has been for several years
chairman Of the music section Of the
league for several years, is to assist in
assembling material for a section on
music shrines, which will be an i'm
portant part Of the Federal Music
Project.
This idea Of making shrines out Of
the places associated with the famous
composers of this country and col
lecting the special historical data OF
homes and memorials and other places
directly connected with the growth OF
music in the United States. Is of great
value not only to the present genera
ton, but to those which will follow.
DR.. Nicolai Sokoloff. director OF che
Federal Music Project, emphasized this
fact when he said, Music history In
the United States must be recorded
now, because facts remembered are
fast vanishing as the Older generation
passes"
In further streSsing the Importance
of beginning Immediately to compile
all information of historical signifl-
canoe. he said: What, for instance,
is known generally of Spillville, Iowa.
where Anton Dvorak wrote much OF
his noted Fifth Symphony" from
the New World?" Does the house in
which he lived still stand? Can we
have some personal "reminiscences OF
persons still living who were ac-
ouainted with the noted Bohemian
composer during his three years in
the United States, 1892 to 1895?
"As Salzburg, in Austria, stands to-
day for Mozart; Bonn, in Germany,
for the birthplace Of Beethoven: Bay
reuth, for the elimination OF the
genius of Richard Wagner, we In
America should preserve our music
shrines while they come within the
memory Of persons living.
Peterborough, N. H. is well known
as the home of Edward MacDowell
and the seat of the present MacDow-
ell Colony for the creative artist. The
recent Stephen Foster celebrations
have brought to the attention OF the
American public the life and the
.shrines' associated with this creator
of American folk music"
IN a letter sent to 33 States, Miss
Hoyt asks for their cooperation
n this undertaking, which will be
compiled into proper form by Jessie
MacBride of this city, who has sent
out ouestionnaires to prominent musi-
clans throughout the country. All
those who have been brought in con-
tact with the celebrated men and
women responsible for the growth OF
music in this country, or who know Of
interesting data regarding them, are
urgently requested to assist in TINS
endeavor to gather material of value,
by which succeeding generations may
learn of the persons and places as
sociated with music in the United
States.
A century ago, and in Europe in
particular, it was the custom for prom
inent people to write their memories.
In this manner, different viewpoints
of great events in history were attain
able. with intimate pictures OF the
characters of well-known personages
of more interest than the simple rec
ordS of biographies. This custom has
contributed greatly to the formation
of a correct idea of period or an
event and the elimination of any
biased opinion which one might gather
from the writings of one or two
authorities. Unfortunately, there is
little time in this present day for
such detailed work and little interest
to sketch the events which are taken
as part of the daily life. But in the
time when intelligent people had to
seek means to occupy themselves,
writing was a favorite pastime and
the world is indebted to these fiowery
and clever authors, who minutely set
down every small detail that could
re-create better picture OF events
and the persons associated with them.
The years wherein music and musi-
clans have occupied a place of prom
inence in this country are not so
many that gathering information
about them should prove a difficult
task. Wherever a celebrated musician
has lived in America, his daily life
would have interested his neighbors
and friends by reason of its novelty.
If for nothing more. 1t is not too
late for many to recall stories told by
their parents, or to remember their
own experiences, and such material
may be used to construct history of