Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-02
Music
NOES
Faith
To Be Gained
Through Music

10 be Gained
Through Music
By ALICE EvERsMAN.
This Christmas season has seen
q greater return than ever before
to an appreciation Of the religious
meaning Of the holidays. Not only
the churches have celebrated the
sacred event with more feeling but
the less sentimental business con-
Germs overlooked no opportunity to
stress the need for greater spiritual
consciousness both toward religion
and the brotherhood OF man. For
many people who have borne the
brunt of the suffering this war has
occasioned 1t has not been easy to
be resigned and believing in the
ultimate good.
But there has been given to us by
Divine Providence q wonderful help
in spiritual DEVELOPMENT In the gift
|of music. Clothed in this great art
are messages of supernatural i'm
port incorporating the noblest ideals
OF which the human race has ever
dreamed. Music is q Jacobs Lad
der that leads to the skies and the
consoling resolution of all life's
problems. We need but to lend our
selves to its magic, to open the
heart to its soft voice in order to
realize that something greater than
mans ambition is working out the
destiny of the race.
The New Year, with its many mu-
steal programs featuring the sublime
efforts Of great men to visualize in
tone beauty and faith beyond the
ken Of ordinary individuals, offers
the tenderest and most rewarding
way for the spiritual growth that is
so much needed to guide us in the
trying times to come. 1t is so simple
to listen, to submit ones ego to the
solace and the vision that lies in
music. No one can do so without
realizing a gain in strength and
faith.
A mong New Books
Rise to Follow" by Albert Spal-
ding, published by Henry Holt g.
Co., New York. This book by the
American violinist Is called an
autobiography but it is not one in
the sense of fidelity to the details
of life story. Rather Mr.. Spalding
takes his career as concertizing vio-
linist, which brought him into the
inner circles of Europe and Amer
lea, to tell of events, surroundings
and personalities with which he
came in contact. He begins his
story with description of his
family and background and his first
violin studies. but from there on
refers to them and the intimate
experiences of his life but rarely.
Had Mr.. Spalding not already
won fame as an artist he could
surely have done so as a writer for
his style is delightful embellished
as his technical facility is with a
keen humor and Photographic
sense of detail that gives vividness
to all his descriptions of places or
people. He is modest when speaking
of his successes and honest in tell
ing of the difficulties he encountered
In making his way.
Cultured in more ways than the
musical one, he was well equipped
to take his place in the society that
welcomed him. The. END of this
pleasant time came with the former
war and his call to service. He haC
the good fortune to be assigned tt
work with the then Capt. La Guar
Ola and the experiences of the two
make some of the best reading ir
the book. In every respect it is by
far the most interesting writing
done by any musician.
"Come Soon. Tomorrow" by
Gladys Swarthout, Dodd, Mead &,
Co, New York, publisher. This is a
story of young singer, but it is not
difficult to guess that the young
singer is Miss Swarthout herself
Emmy Norton. the heroine, was
born on Christmas Day in small
town In Missouri, as was Miss
Swarthout, which is good clue as to
the real identity of Emmy if one
were needed.
This is a story of how Emmy
became an artist of distinction, the
climax of her struggles being the
performance of Carmen" at the
Metropolitan Opera. Elnmy's feel
ings on this suspicious occasion form
the epilogue and her successful
portrayal OF the role the final chap
ter. Between these two chapters
the authoress returns to the town
Of her birth and begins the story of
how it came about that Emmy took
up the study Of voice first and a
career afterwards.
just why Miss Swarthout chose the
form OF novel IN which to write
her biography is hardly understand
able, for she has no great gift at
lnventing conversations or of MAX
ing her characters living human
beings. The tone of the book is
stilted, and everything works out II,
such a right way as to seem hardly
credible. 1t is possible to realize,
however. the hard work and the
good luck that goes into the max
ing OF an opera singer. and Miss
SWartnout apparently had plenty
OF both. The chief virtue of the
story is that it is a biography OF
Miss Swarthout.
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