BRITAIN'S MOST POPULAR ART

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1934, Page 17

BRITAIN'S MOST POPULAR ART

; '. ' o , SIR", 'THOMAS BEECHAM, in a wilty speech'-to the members . of the Thirty .CJiib recently, dwelt on .'the importance of ; , music. "Music," he said, "is the popular art of this ; country.' That may be news to you," but it is a'fact," reports the : "DailyTelcgraph." ''\ •". ' ■ ,; > 17 : "There are 5000 choral societies in'this ebuntry^more than ; in- the, whole continent of Europe. They comprise about 375,000 ! people, singing. \ "It is a grim thought,-' but il is a fact. There are more ical ; concerts.in this country, there are more*small societies, there aie ; more people eking out a strange existence in this ,ivay than' in I Germany. There arc more people meddling and interfering with ; music in one form or another than in any other country. ; . "Two years ago I was in New York. I asked for a chorus | to do some choral work. 'After three weeks' exploration, of places ; that included even the Bowery, the promoters came to me and 1' j ' said: 'If you' want a chorus you will have to bring it from I Toronto.' In London, within a week, I could have had six ; choritses, ready and trained and 'accomplished for any work. ; . "Music is the'most popular ait. It is listened to by millions, |it is listened to with some care and attention, it N is practised' in ; this country by hundreds of thousands of people. For everyper- ;' son interested in painting and sculpture there are fifty interested : ill music." • ..