MUSIC IN WAR-TIME

Evening Star, Issue 23657, 17 August 1940, Page 19

MUSIC IN WAR-TIME

AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION Miss Mary Martin, speaking on ‘ The Value of Music in War Time ’ at a meeting of the Women Musicians this week, quoted a timely remark by J. B. Priestley, who in a broadcast said, “ The idea of adding song and high jinks to hard work is a good one.” Music as a means of communal expression certainly epitomised the national feeling in time of war by way of marching songs and rousing tunes which stirred the heart, the speaker said. But music was of greater importance in a time of stress, as regards its spiritual side, for music was the expression of permanent values, which at the present time were apt to be outweighed by the passion and emotion of the conflict. Busoni said that “ the music of the future must return to serenity.” Miss Martin illustrated the themes of the Beethoven G major pianoforte concerto, which many critics have taken to represent the triumph of good over evil. The bestiality of war, the horror, the lust for power were all things wliich would pass; music expressed the things that were outside and above these, the things that alone were worth living and striving for.

Mies Jean Hardy spoke of war-time music from two points of view. The looker-on, she said, in time of war was apt to relieve the strain by recourse to such antidotes as ‘ Roll Out the Barrel.’ From the soldier’s point ot view music w’as represented by war songs, an undying part of a. country’s traditions. Music was essential in keeping up the morale of looker-on and participant alike, as it could help to build up a mental outlook which compelled civilian and soldier to the same coal. The primary factor in welding a nation to a single whole the factor of sympathy —could easily be expressed in music, which appealed both to mind and body. War represented a lapse into barbarism in more wavs than one. Music suffered casualties and good music could be one of the first if overstrained nerves were relieved by ephemeral jazz. But the musician could ignore this as a passing phase, and by training the children of the nation to appreciate what was best instead of what was worst in music could keep up a standard of appreciation which would not fail in peace time, a standard which represented all those civilised influences for which we were fighting. ... Miss Meda Paine read an interesting article, ‘ Perspective,’ by Ancell Wells, from the 1 London Musical Opinion,’ in which a like theme was stressed, as well as the necessity for m'aintaiuing a high standard of music, of continuing to produce and perform the best music, and of remembering how important, spiritually, a great force like music can be at a time like the present. Several other speakers took part in a general discussion of the question, including Mho Logic, who said that

concerts of classical music were becoming very popular just now in England, and that what appealed to people about this type of music, even although they themselves (Jidn’t realise it, was the intrinsic order and regularity of music, contrasted with the confusion of thought occasioned by a war. During the evening' solos were given, pianoforte items being ‘ Lotus Land,’ by Cyril Scott, played by Rena Simpson, and ‘ Gardens in the Rain,’ by Debussy, played by Olive Nieper. Mrs Hall-Masters sang ‘ My Heart the Bird of the Wilderness,’ and also Brahms’s ‘ Blacksmith,’ accompanied by Mrs Scott.