MUSIC AT DARTMOUTH

The artistic sense is certainly one essential element of a broad education and in no way can the artistic sense be better expressed for the average man, including the average college undergraduate, than through the medium of music. Perhaps he can not endure anything higher than ragtime and looks with scorn on those benighted people who profess a real enjoyment in classical music. But even a love of ragtime indicates that there is in the undergraduate's makeup some music, a taste which should be cultivated and educated like any other taste.

Dartmouth is evidently beginning to cultivate this aesthetic sense among its undergraduates. There are many different musical organizations now active in the college, some of them conducted by the institution, and coming under the curriculum, others conducted by the undergraduates themselves. Of the former class the choir and orchestra are the principal examples. In the last ten years, under the guidance of Director C. H. Morse, the choir has grown from a small unorganized body of twelve or fifteen men to a strong and well-organized chorus of sixty-five voices, holding regular rehearsals weekly, and singing at vespers the best anthems of the best composers. When the choir on a Sunday evening can hold the attention of twelve hundred students who actually seem to enjoy the singing and do not wear expressions of contemptuous condescension or of resignation, it is a sign that something has been gained. On two occasions the choir has won for itself a reputation and high praise from outside musical critics by its rendering of Gounod's first Mass.

Our orchestra is now a positive credit to us. It is unique in being the only large college orchestra in the country, entirely self-dependent. That is, it has all the instruments from bass viol to piccolo and all are played by students. No professional musicians are hired as in other college orchestras. It might be expected that this fact would result in great musical "agony", but such is not the case. The orchestra has surprised itself and has won from the reluctant student body, always slow in praising a new thing, general commendation. It is only in its third year, hardly able to toddle along, one would think, yet it has given four concerts in Webster Hall. Within this orchestra is an excellent string quartet composed this year entirely of students: Griffith '15, first vioin; Blanchard '13, second violin; G. Lewis '12, viola; R. Lewis '12, 'cello. Other undergraduate musical activities are the Glee Club, the Mandolin Club, and the Band. These are perhaps too well known and too similar to the musical clubs of other colleges to require much description. However, all have notably increased and improved in the last few years. The spirit of rivalry created by the annual occurence on the eve of the big football game, of the concert by the joint musical clubs of Dartmouth and Harvard, has done much to improve the calibre of our clubs. Our band, too, deserves honorable mention. At all our important games it holds forth, doing much to increase the spirit and enthusiasm for the contests. At Prom time also, and at Commencement, it helps us to entertain our fair visitors, and on such occasions we could not distinguish it from Sousa's or Vassala's band.

The class hums held twice a week during the spring term help to make Dartmouth spirit stronger and firmer. The four classes gather on the campus at twilight, the seniors at the senior fence, the juniors opposite them on the steps of Dartmouth Hall, the sophomores in front of Webster Hall, and the freshmen in front of Bissell Hall. Each class sings in turn two or three songs and then all meet together in the middle of the campus and "wind up" with the Dartmouth Song.

Several famous singers and musicians have appeared in Webster Hall. Such names as Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Heinrich Gebhard, Madame Szumowska, and Timothy Adamowski are known to everybody, not only for their delicious musical sound, but for the great musical talent of their bearers. All of these people have entertained Hanover audiences. Other well-known singers, such as Lilla Ormond, contralto, and Florence Hinkle, soprano, have performed in Hanover. Bessie Bell Collier and Nina Fletcher, two of the best lady violinists in this country, Arthur Foote and Arthur Whiting, pianists, the Adamowski trio of Boston, and the famous Hoffman string quartet, all have contributed in giving Dartmouth some of the best music to be heard in the country. Ten members of the Boston Symphony orchestra have appeared, and four from the Boston Opera House. But all these cost money, unfortunately, and that commodity seems to be a bit scarce at Dartmouth. If the authorities who control Dartmouth finance could be induced to establish a regular annual appropriation for the purpose of bringing good music to Hanover, such treats would not have to be so rare as they are at present. We are, far off from civilization up here in the New Hampshire wilds. Entertainments of any sort are few enough at best. We hope that in time this defect may be remedied so that we shall not be behind other colleges in any respect.

One thing which gives us great encouragment along this line is the recent formation of a musical society called "The Clefs," composed of about twenty undergraduates and a few of the faculty. This club holds musicales and musical discussions twice a month in private homes. This society is but the outward expression of a growing sentiment among undergraduates and faculty in favor of the development of music at Dartmouth.

The musical instinct of the undergraduate finds spontaneous expression in football songs given at all athletic contests. Everyone who loves Dartmouth even in defeat knows the pride felt in singing the Dartmouth Song after the Harvard game when the game has gone Harvard's way. On other less doleful occasions, too, the Dartmouth Song rings out as a token of loyalty.

If undergraduates and faculty continue to show their increased interest in and appreciation of good music we hope soon to see Dartmouth as strong in this department of education as she is in others.