PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 52

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

A Word on Music.

Last month one of my Chats contained a note on the mischievous results following the misuso of perseverance, and I instanced the wasteful and useless and even harmful expenditure of time and money on music. I did nob for a moment mean to disparage any attempt to acquire a musical education, ezcapfc when the taught had neither inclination nor aptitude for the subject. A friend of mine cannot for tha life of him distinguish between Dob. and Sob, and it is as much as he can do to recognise the Old Hundredth. Now ha ia of a very persevering nature, but the mora be persevered in learning music the more I should say he was misapplying his energies. Iv other line 3of study he is a brilliant student, but if you want to put him into purgatory set him to learn music or ask him to escort a lady lo a concarfc. His ia an exceptional case, no doubt, bufc it serves to illustrate what I mmnfc when I referred to the waste of tiniß and money in teaching music. A courteous correspondent bakos exception to my remarks, and as I almost entirely agree with him, perhaps our editor will append his letter as an encouragement to those who have ordinary capacity and an ordinary desire to Require tbis most lefining and pleasurable accomplishment.

The letter, however, sofrgssts one or two thoughts that I might just-as well give forth, for to give expression to what we think ia a capital safety valve ; we get to know one another better, and it's good to confess wbat we tbink. And first I complain of the want of sold ia much of onr vocal and instrumental music. Now lam not a musician, and will only put my foot into ib by trying to explain further what I mean ; there may bs wonderful technique, but nothing behind it. My correspondent refers to the pleasing effect produced by the children singing in tbe Flower Festival connected with tha New Zealand and South Saas Exhibition some seven or eight years ago. To me there is no happier sigh!; than a good children's choir. But remember such a., choir posse? ses two things — children who have a natural love for singing, and therefore naturalness and soul when singing. And a word abjut chiidrsn'a choirs. Why hasn't every church a fixed time for calebratirg its Sunday school anniversary, and why are the children in the Sunday school attached not specially trained to sing tuneful songs on that occasion 1 In the Sunday school I was connected wibh we used to go into training for nearly three months before the time our hymns were printed and circulated, and when the time arrived a platform was put up, and we, most of us in new suits and dresses, sang with right good will and enjoyed ourselves immensely. And my I weren't our parents bappy as they beruned up on us and we down on them. In those day?, for a couple o£ months bs£oie Christmas,' the .more enthusiastic of U3 made the rounds of the churches to compare their anniversary g-ra3 with ours. We knew the merits and demerits of every conductor and choir. Sometimes we grudgingly allowed that some other choir w§s our aupsrior, but mostly wo thought ours " took tho cake." Then, too, Wv3 had carol parties waking up good souls at all hours of the night and morning.

No, I am not against teaching aud learning mu-ic when there is a happy return for the expenditure. H*ve any of yon read Frances Ridley H\v«jrgal'»j ' The Mooulighfc Sonata " ? It ia in the volume entitled " Under tbe Surface." If you havon'r-, and get discouraged by " Pater ' or anyone else, turn to it and receive consolatioa. To my mind it is an exquisite poem. A girl is aeked to practise and to study hard. Hhs cannot see what the end is to be, but having faith ia her teacher's judgment perseveres, and the result is a crowning triumph. The result justified the expenditure, for she had ability, and also an undeveloped lov© for the BUbj'-Ct.

Bub I am against that expressionless mechanical effort which is the outcome of nine-tenths of what passes for music And I sometimeß Ihink that the musicians are to blame more than the audience when tbe music has for ite principal accompaniment that conversational hum so prevalent at our concerts ; it is either that, or that the audiences are composed of unita who attend orchestial and other concerts because it is fashionable to do so, and not -because of any love for the musical selections rendered. Within the past fortnight I have attended two concert?, one given by the Dunedin Orchestral Society, and in both the clatter of plates and tea cups was all that was required to change the audiences into tea partie.-". And yet three -fourths of the people attending these concerts would ba able to strum or eing. At the-Orcheatral Concert a couple of giggling idiots sat behind me, and couldn't even keep quiet whsn Madame Venosta was staging. Daring one of the intervals I looked round, and being 1 in not too amiable a mood, I calculated that a thousand in bhe hall had each on an average £100 spent on his or her musical education. How much of that £100,000 was wasted money ?-4incl how many years of wasted time was represented there 1 I shouldn't like to say. I like mufic, but I still say that many practice it wbo have made a woful miitake.

Tiiera is one branch of musical education very much neglected, and that is familj music. A large number of Ofc-igo folk have heard the Payne and Lynch Familiep, and most of ns in Dnnedin are familiar with the Huston Faoiiiy, and those further sonth with tha Black Family of Invercargitl. My correspondent, refers to the preventive influence uf music — thafc i?, the study o? it keeps the

mind pure and keer/3 down evil, acd to the same extent increases purit.y. If we had

more family music in tbs family and less pretentious tr.Uiic on the platform, music would be a more powerful factor for good than at present. The following is the letter I have alluded to above :—: — "PATER" AND MUSIC. TO THE EDITOR. SrR, — Though past bhe sbagc of boykood my interest in "Pater's Chats with the Boys" re- ' saaios unabated. There is always a freshness

in his sketches, a fund of information, at timei amusement, and food for thought and investigation permeates the majority of them.

•' Pater" must pardon me, however, for taking exception to one remark occurring in his treatise on "Perseverance," published in your issue of 18bh ult. Therein he says :—

" What an immense amounb of monej — aad, what is more important, time — is being spent ou teaching children to play musical instruments. The poor things practise with monotonous regularity and persevere as a duty ; but w,hat misspent time and money." Now, Sir, I can scarcely believe that thab sentence was written advertently, otherwise "Pater" crmnob be alive to the ennobling, purifying effect the ctudy of music, either vocal or instrumental, exorcises over the youthful character. Thab it requires perseverance to acquire nob only a caste for ib bub to attain proticiency in ib is admitted, bub in what more innocent or elevating cßamiel can tbe thoughts of the rising generation be directed ? Do not let nee, however, be mkuuderstood. To cultivate a taste for music and spend time in the prosecution thereof to the exclusion wholly of the duties devolving on boys or girls aa helps lo parents in or oub of doors is to be deprecated ; bub in so far a« it doe 3 nob ititetfere wi'h th*se duties the cultivation of music should bo engaged in and encouraged with zealous psrseveraiice. I have heard Sima Reeves, Santley, Titiens, P*bbi, Foli, and many other nobables, bub was more delighted with the band of children who sang «b the D.jnediu Exhibition than anybhing I ever listened to. Their training was duo, to perseverance on the part of their teachers. ' No, dear "Pater," do nob discourage music in the j ouog, nor deem the time allocated to iU acquircm mb misspenb or the money wasted that is bestowed on a musical education, for, believe me, the favoured few who by virtue of their patents'' care and liberality have obtained the benefits thereof will ever alter bless them for it.

Personally I would advocate the compulsory educfttion in mus'c of all children attending State fcheols and the giving of pre r erenca to leacuera who an? ctpable of imparting such tuition, for it :.fforda rehx'ition from severer work and tends to divert bha youthful minds from roa'erinl defilement. Moreover, those to whom the instruction is imparted will enjoy by its improvement iv afbar years a pleaßant pastime in leiiure hcur*, a solace in days of adversity, and a very palpable aid in miuldipg the character and disposition in closer similitude to Him who knew no guile. — I am, &3., G'OMPAGNOX.