POPULAR SONGS

Grey River Argus, 20 February 1932, Page 6

POPULAR SONGS

In Russia SOMETHING BETTER THAN JAZZ British musicians, thrown out of work by the thousand since talking pictures started, will have special interest in an article written by a London cinema organist, who spent some months in Moscow .last spring. He says:— “There are no unemployed musicians in Russia. As I try to explain this, you will see also the importance of a musician’s worth in the life of the Soviet Union. The Russian revolution made a clean break with all rhe ways ever known to history of using music in social life. It abolished for ever the music system of capitalism. Some readers may smile and wonder what music has to do with capitalism. But is it not true that the most popular music in capitalist countries, dance, jazz, music hall songs, bands—serves a clear social purpose?. If there were no amusements for the workers, no | distractions to help them forget their lot, they would be even more discontented than they are. Popular music i under capitalism takes the place of drink or drugs, or may be used with them and with other “let’s forget” stuff like most films. Then there is the music of the ruling class. That class is careful to foster the idea that the music it is clever enough to understand is “high brow” and far above

the heads of supposedly stupid people such as ordinary workers. There is also, o* course, patriotic music—army airs which thrill and put people in a warlike state of mind when that it necessary. Both for popular and classic music, the capitalist system needs few instrumentalists, composers or conductors. It cannot fully employ those who are in the labour market. Now we are in a better position to understand how music is used in Russia. Music is the instrument of the ruling class there also, but the ruling class is the working class. The workers of Russia do not need the dope of jazz to make them believe that they are happy. They are happy and so they make their own music—their own songs to celebrate their triumphs in the great war of the Five Tear Plan. Let me give you an instance. A little while ago there was held at Sverdlovsk in the Urals a song festival of the Tartars and other Pastern nations of the Union. These people were once under the heel of Tsarist oppression. Their songs were in a minor key—wailing melodies which expressed their misery and wretchedness; but now they have new songs filled with restless energy, quick rhythm, swiftly flowing melodic lines, cheery songs of victory and joy. At this song festival many new singers and musicians were discovered, and’ are now being trained by experts to develop their talents. That is hap pening all over the country. Russia is bursting with song, and every trained musician has as much work as he could wish in helping to lead this great mass movement of melody. You ‘ have read often of the Moscow Pact of

Rest and Culture, the city’s great playground. Every day in the park there are huge crowds, listening to the bands or being organised into community singing choirs. Similar scenes on a smaller scale can be witnessed all over Russia. Then there is a big demand for musicians for the workers’ and peasants’ clubs, which are found at almost every factory and village throughout the country. By the eml of the Five Year Plan there will be 14.700 clubs in Russia, each equipped with theatres and concert halls, each requiring its orchestra, each providing a chance for rising young singers ami players to develop their powers under the guidance of competent specialists. Tn the years to come it will be unnecessary to say that there are no workless musicians in Rusisa. for Russia will be the country where every worker is a musician.