Evening star., 1936-06-13
SYLVAN THEATER OPENS SEASON OF ALFRESCO EVENTS
English Teacher Brings
Story of Enterprise Here
Homemade Bamboo Pipes, Like Those Used
by Ancents, Bring Good, if Simple, Music
to Poor Persons of England.

clans, lawyers. doctors. laborers and
mechanics put aside class distinction
in their earnest effort to make and
learn to play the homely instrument
formed from a simple reed.
The Pipers' Guild combines the
"threefold craft of making, playing
and decorating each man his own in
strument" No one can join the guild
who has not made his own pipe and
that no pipes are to be sold is one Of
the entrance conditions of the guild.
For the unskilled workman. day and
a half is necessary for making pipe,
but with practice the time can be re-
duced to 40 minutes. At present the
guild has more than 1000 members,
with branches in France, Canada.
Switzerland, Norway and Sweden.
There are one or two members of the
guild in the United States Concert
units have been formed from the most
advanced players. who usually are
artists on other instruments.
TO PROVIDE the proper roper
toire for either private or public
performances much ancient music
has been revived and many forgotten
compositions of rare beauty have been
unearthed in the search among old
manuscripts. Thus, old tunes from
the time of Henry VIII and old mad
rigals and manuscripts from the six
teenth and seventeenth centuries,
heretofore unknown, have been dis
covered and adapted to the use Of
the pipers. Several modern COM
posers have also tried their hand in
the idiom suitable for this new-old
instrument.
Mrs. Alexander. who received her
journeyman's teacher diploma from
the guild, has seen the practical dem
onstration Of what pleasure can be
derived from learning the pipers' craft
A real love Of the instrument grows
with its making, the accurate measur-
ing, the polishing. the cutting of the
holes, the correct establishment OF
pitch and finally the decorating, on
which much ingenuity can be ex-
pended. When this is done, comes the
learning of music. simplified to re-
markable degree and so expertly ar
ranged for progress that in short
time the ignorant student has the
! fundamental principles firmly in.
stalled. The greatest value Of the
! study is the perfection in ear-trainine
which almost automatically follows
Mrs. Alexander carries with her fine
collection of gayly colored pipes, some
| in the key of D major, some in
major and others in g major, tc
which she has given the fanciful and
according to the decoration. appro-
pirate names Of Fatima, The Clown
| etc.
1t cannot be asserted with complete
positiveness that the pipe was thl
first musical instrument ever used. bu
at least it was known in the yer!
earliest time of which there Is an!
record. In England today these sim
pie, homemade pipes are bringing {
real musical pleasure to many. Ir
| hamlets where pianos or violins are
luxuries the simple folks have theil
pipes and after the days work i.
done can. by themselves or together
with others, play the lovely melodie:
adapted for it and have the persona,
pleasure of making music. In the
cities the pipe has brought relaxation
to many who can have a quiet hour
of music without hardly any cost and
no extensive and expensive training
This return to simple music making
might we'll be adopted in this country
for the very real education it bring.
in the best musical knowledge pos
sible. the beauty Of simplicity and
classic form.