--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 32 number: 3 published: 1929-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Mutual Work,” *Improvement Era* 32, no. 3 (January 1929): 249–261." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3203unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3203unse start_page: 249 end_page: 261 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1929-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3203unse publication_year: 1929 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1929, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Mutual Work EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT Closing Date of Play-Writing Contest Extended In view of the fact that Mutual peo- ple have been so busy since the open- ing of the season's work, and the mul- titudinous duties incident to Christmas time, the request has been made that the closing date of the M. I. A. Play-writ- ing Contest be extended to January 31, instead of December 31, as an- nounced in the Hand Book. After due consideration, this request has been granted, and the attention of those who are preparing manuscripts for the contest, and also of others who might now want to participate, is hereby called to this new arrangement. M. I. A. officers should give this information to persons in their ward who are likely to be interested. Following is the in- ducement offered: 1st prize . $50 2nd prize $25 The offer is open to all. No limita- tion1 is made as to subject-matter, but we suggest a careful consideration ol the numerous dramatic events in the history of the Latter-day Saint people or a theme dealing with the ideals of the Church. The prize-winning plays are to become the property of the General Boards. All other manuscripts will be returned or arrangements made for their purchase. The play should be unsigned and accompanied by a sealed envelope containing the name and ad- dress of the author and the title of the play. Address: General Superin- tendency Y. M. M. I. A., 47 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah. This is not to be confused with the Improvement Era Story- writing Con- test, the closing date of which is also January 31, and in which prizes of the same amounts are offered. Remarkable Record in Life Memberships Ward President Wray W. Hegsted, of the Salem ward, Fremont stake, has made an exceptional record in selling Life Memberships this year. In this ward, with a population of 457, Brother Hegsted has sold, to date, forty-six Life Memberships, which makes 100% record. Congratulations to Brother Hegsted. His fine ex- ample, we hope, will prove inspira- tional to other wards of the Church. Program for Joint Session Sunday Evening. Feb. 3, 1929 February is the Mat- Companionship Suggestions: ing Month. General Theme: and Marriage. Suggested Music: "Love at Home." "Let's Be Kind to One Another." "Scatter Seeds of Kindness." "Home, Sweet Home." Two Addresses on Companionship: 1 . The kind of companionship de- sirable before marriage. a. Educational school mates, col- lege comradeship. b. Social, or community, acquaint- ance. c. Religious. d. Courtship. 250 IMPROVEMENT ERA Some happily married man — 10 minutes. 2. The kind of companionship de- sirable after marriage. a. Confidence companionship. b. Council companionship. c. Sacrifice companionship. d. Kindness companionship. e. Parenthood companionship. A woman who knows — 10 minutes. Two addresses on Marriage: — 10 min- utes. 1. The universal sacredness of mar- riage. a. Significance of wedding festivi- ties. b. Value of wedding anniversaries. c. Varieties of marriage customs. 2. The advantage of temple mar- riages.— 10 minutes. a. For the individual. b. For the family. c. For the state. d. For the Church. Read the following as preliminary to presenting the slogan: Bordering a large forest reserve is the ranch of Brother X. Part of the ranch is utilized as a variety farm. During the summer months the deer invaded the farm and did no little damage. No common fence could keep them out of the field. The owner of the field felt that he would be justified in shooting some of the deer, notwithstanding they belonged to the state, and it would be unlawful to kill them during closed season. After weeks of irritation and delib- eration, the man decided to take the law into his own hands and get some venison. Taking his gun he started out alone to collect in his own way what he thought was due to him, but which could not be collected by law. He reached the farm. The deer were there, but he didn't col- lect. He just drove the animals off with as much scare as possible. Why did he not shoot the deer? Be- cause he could not do it without shooting through the law. And here was another reason; he had been thinking of how he could answer the question of his lads at home as to how he got the meat. The responsibility of living as he had taught his children to live — that was the deciding fac- tor that placed him before himself as one who "stands for law, for the people who live it, and for the officers who enforce it." And it was no wonder that a visitor to whom the Bishop made the confes- sion said: "He is a better man than the ordinary." ADULT DEPARTMENT Karl G. Maeser By Reinhard Maeser, Published by the Brigham Young University. Reviewed by Dr. George H. Brimhall The Introduction by Franklin S. Harris, President of the University, is a brief but luminous presentation of what the illustrious educator was to the public and to his students. To read the biography in the light of the introduction is like following the course of a river through a valley, after having had a bird's eye view of it from the high land. The Contents: At the outset the reader is ushered into the presence of Karl G. Maeser, the man, as seen by the author, his eldest son. The first page of the vol- MUTUAL WORK 251 ume blazes with a pen picture not to be forgotten. With undisguised pride, the biographer introduces the high- grade ancestry and then leads directly into the eventful life of his father. At eleven years of age we find the boy temporarily blind from overstudy. At twenty we see him graduating from college, and thus on and on one is led to the high points of historical interest in an eventful life of one in that class of whom Longfellow wrote as re- minders that "we can make our lives sublime." A considerable part of the material making up the volume is direct from the personal diary of Dr. Maeser and quotations from his class instruction and public speaking. Each chapter is introduced by one of his maxims; such as, "He who deceives another is a knave, but he who deceives himself is a fool." "The Lord never does anything arbi- trarily." "No man shall be more ex- acting of me or of my conduct than 'I am of myself." The first twenty-two chapters carry faith, philosophy, and facts, with here and there a sprinkling of humor re- flective of the geniality of a soul, at once approachable, yet dignified; ten- der, yet adamant; obedient, yet com- manding; humble, yet unyielding. Chapter twenty-three deals with his mission and educational work in Cali- fornia, and records the death of his wife, a lady spoken of as "a woman without guile," and closes with this significant statement: "As Karl G. Maeser was the first man, so was his wife, Anna, the first woman to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Kingdom of Saxony, Ger- many." Chapter twenty-four contains a brief but sparkling account of the cele- bration of Dr. Maeser's fiftieth anni- versary as a teacher, and records a poem by Annie Pike descriptive of the vener- able man and much-loved teacher, an address by Thomas Rees and a song rendered by a group of children, each exercise glowing with love and vener- ation. In chapter twenty-five are three mes- sages of historical importance: 1, his desire to "die in the harness;" 2, the manner of his passing, and 3, the news- paper comments on his departure. Chapter twenty-six is devoted to the "funeral services held in Salt Lake City and the memorial services held in Provo and gives several poems, among which is the song still being sung, "The Teacher's Work is Done." Chapter twenty-seven is dedicated to "Expressions of Appreciation," most of which is taken from the Young Woman's Journal. These ex- pressions reveal Dr. Maeser as seen by those whose lives were closely knit to his by educational companionship. The closing chapter, twenty-eight, holds a record of three events: First, the movement to erect a Maeser Mem- orial Building at Provo; second, the dedication of a head-stone over the grave at Salt Lake City, the record of which event gives in full an address by President Brimhall and a description of the monument; third, a statement of the cost of the building and an address in full by the author of the book, closing with the following bene- diction: "God bless the generous donors to this monument; God bless the Latter- day Saints; God bless the great system of education in which my father was pioneer factor; God bless the memory of Karl G. Maeser." An appendix of testimonials, max- ims and sayings, completes the vol- ume. Among the testimonials that of United States Senator Reed Smoot is the most extended and that of Pro- fessor John C. Swenson is the briefest. He says: "Brother Maeser was a man of noble character and his nobility was contagious." The book is a loving tribute of a loyal son to a noble father, it is a long- wished-for gift to the students of the great teacher; it is a faith-promoting 252 IMPROVEMENT ERA contribution to Latter-day Saint liter- ature. Preceding the title page is a picture of one who to me was the embodiment at once of the simple faith of a child and the many-sided wisdom of a sage. Three quotations from the book: 1. His first prayer: "O God, if there be a God, make thyself manifest unto me." 2. His first covenant: "On coming out of the water, I lifted both my hands to heaven and said, 'Father, if what I have done just now is pleasing unto thee, give me a testimony, and whatever thou shouldst require of my hands I shall do, even to the laying down of my life for this cause'." 3. His first special spiritual gift: "There seemed to be no response to my fervent appeal, and we walked home together, President Richards and Elder Budge at the right and left of me, while the other man walked some distance behind us so as not to attract attention. Our conversation was on the subject of the authority of the Priesthood. Suddenly I stopped Elder Budge from interpreting the Presi- dent's remarks to me, as I understood them perfectly. I replied to him in German, and again the interpretation was not necessary, as I was also under- stood by the President. Thus we kept on conversing until we arrived at the point of separation, when the manifestation as suddenly ceased as it had come. It did not appear to be strange at all, while it lasted, but as soon as it stopped, I asked Brother Budge what that all meant, and re- ceived the answer that God had given me a testimony." Ten Outstanding Magazine Articles Selected by a Committee of Librarians, November, 1928 "The So-Called Lost Battalion," Hen- ry O. Swindler, in American Mercury. A praiseful but unvarnished history of one of America's finest military maneuvers, now a legend: How Major Whittlesley's men attained and val- iantly held an objective five days, al- though cut off from communication and all supplies. "The Mucker Pose," James Truslow Adams, in Harper's Magazine. An indictment of those gently bred Americans who adopt the speech and manners of longshoremen, to show they are "good fellows." Mr. Adams scathingly portrays the mucker-poseur and tells him to stop imitating his inferiors. "Democracy Holds its Ground," Charles A. Beard, in Harper's Magazine. Is it true that democracy is on its last legs in Europe? Dr. Beard pre- sents the historian's verdict: Despite Mussolini and the Soviets, he finds democracy gaining and shows why this is inevitable. "The Canal is the Answer," Cyrus Frend Wicker, in Century. Why are we so vitally interested in Nicaragua? What ultimate advantage is to be gained? A diplomat and scholar who has had first-hand expe- rience answers these important ques- tions. "Our Revolt Against Ugliness," Har- lean James, in Review of Reviews. America's "tin-can civilization" is giving way to beauty. In wide, open spaces there are more parks for nation, state, and city: in the crowded sections, town planners bring harmony through intelligent utilization of space and building art. MUTUAL WORK 253 "Should the Criminal Jury be Abol- ished;"' Edgar Allen Poe vs. Martin Littleton, in Forum. Mr. Poe, attorney general for Mary- land, a state that has tried thousands of criminal cases without juries, takes the affirmative. Mr. Littleton, an at- torney of wide practice and chief coun- sel for Sinclair when he was acquitted, says no. "Europe Ten Years After," Dr. Julius Klein, in Atlantic Monthly. The director of the United States Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com- merce, outlines the important change in Europe's economic psychology since the Armistice, ten years ago this month, ushered in a new chapter of her history. "The Great Galilean," Robert Kemble, in Atlantic Monthly. In the first part of a book on Jesus, designed as an interpretation and a protest: An interpretation of the little-known figure revealed by histor- ical criticism; and a protest against the distorted hypocrisy which has been practiced in his name. "Smith, Hoover, and Prosperity," Forecasts by Nationally Known Business Men, in Forum. To what extent have political par- ties created prosperity or are likely to create it in the near future. This article contains forecasts by eight prom- inent business men on whether or not prosperity will continue. "Scarlet Journalism," Silas Bent, in Scribner's Magazine. The ballyhoo of lechery, started with the Beecher-Tilton scandal, reaches a new high point in the daily press, while, as the author points out, scientific discussion of sex is taboo. (Copyright, Harper Brothers Company.) M Men-Gleaner Notes Joint Project: We Shall Promote the Cultural and Aesthetic Value of the Dance. During the past four months the M Men and Gleaner Girls have had as their subject of study and activity, "Etiquette;" for January, "Dancing" (see December Era and Journal) ; for the remaining months they will turn their attention to "Fellowship and So- ciability." As much singing and other activities as possible should be intro- duced into this period. It is urged that Gleaner and M Men leaders take charge of this work themselves rather than class leaders. This session, on the first Tuesday, may be made one of the most interesting of the entire month. Suggestions for songs: Sociability and fun songs, M. I. A. Song Folder. pages 36-86. Dramatizations. It is suggested that the Gleaners prepare and present the play "Friendship," in this issue of the Journal, and that the M Men pre- sent "Allison's Lad" or "The Traitor" (M. I. A. Hand Book, page 431). Both the Gleaner and M Men play may be given on the same evening or if time prevents may be presented on consecutive evenings. Fellowship (For February 5) We are social beings and shall con- tinue to be so long as we live together in organized society. When all is said and done we are fellow-men in pursuit 254 IMPROVEMENT ERA of happiness. Because we live together we must be considerate of each other. Each person looks out for himself but as he does so he must be conscious of the welfare of others. There must be a feeling of fellowship among people if the greatest of happiness can be ob- tained. In other words, most can be had from life if there is a feeling of social sportsmanship. What is social sportsmanship? We say that a football player who deliber- ately kicks an opponent in the face is a poor sport. Why? Because he took unfair advantage of another to gain a personal end. We say that a member of a group who refuses to do a legiti- mate thing that the group wants to do is a poor sport. Why? Because he disregards the feelings of others to ac- complish his own desires. A good sport then is one who plays fair with others; he is one who respects others' rights to live and be happy. Let us consider for a few moments some of the relationships between hu- man beings that are desirable. In doing so our attention will be directed toward a consideration of our relationships be- tween people as a whole and of a young fellow towards a girl and of a girl towards a fellow, and a consideration of other phases of sociability and fel- lowship. Everyone is not always fair with everyone else. This is due to many reasons: personal selfishness, prejudices, jealousies, misguidance, carelessness, etc. I see an acquaintance succeed much faster than I am able to do. I become envious, and say things to hurt him. I make the acquaintance of a friend of the opposite sex, but I may not like him or her, and I am offensive in my conduct. I pass a remark about an- other which belittles him in the eyes of others. In all these things I am unfair, a poor social sport. Who is usually subjected to most abuse from his fellow-men? As a rule, the one who deserves the least. Chil- dren do not make fun of the pretty girl; instead they pick on the one who is poor or ugly or has freckles, or who is dressed in an old-fashioned way, etc. They laugh at those who are at a disadvantage already. Grown people do the same thing. It's usually the one who is conspicuous because of some handicap or deficiency that re- ceives the most abuse and neglect. If one is rich or good-looking or attrac- tive, people often overlook his short- comings; but they are inclined to emphasize, often under most unpleas- ant circumstances, the faults of the less attractive or more unfortunate. There is a kind of a wound which is far more painful than a physical bruise or cut. It is a wound of the spirit or feelings. It is known as a psychological wound. It cuts deep and lasts a long time. An injury to the body will usu ally soon heal and the body be quickly restored to normal health. But a psy- chological wound lingers on, sometimes crushing the spirit of the wounded one, often killing his ambitions, at times making him bitter towards his fellow- men, and continually giving him pain and suffering. It's the psychological wound that is inflicted by poor social sportsmanship. None of us is perfect. We have all done and thought things that we are ashamed of, or at least that we would not like others to know. In most of our lives unpleasant memories lin- ger. Now if one person happens to know something of this sort about an- other, has he any right to broadcast it? Is he a good social sport if he tells a thing, when the telling of it will injure another, or lower him in the eyes of his fellow-men? Have any of us a right to wound the feelings of another through gossip? The pain and un- happiness which this one thing has brought to mankind is almost limitless. "The tongue is fire," Paul has told us. An ungrateful tongue can wound the feelings of another beyond repair. Every person who lives has some- thing about him which is worthy of admiration. Can we not contribute much to the happiness of each other by MUTUAL WORK 255 making others conscious of the noble in our associates? There is good and bad in everyone and everything. Let's look for the good and talk about it if we would be social sports. Remember the story of the roses. Two old ladies were walking in a garden of roses. They were surrounded by beauty. One of the ladies put forth her hand to pick a rose. As she did so. she pricked her finger on a thorn. She said to her companion: "Isn't it a shame that God, when he created such a beautiful flower as the rose, put thorns on its bushes?" Her sister an- swered by saying, "I was thinking how thoughtful God was when he created a thorn bush for putting roses on it." Let's look for the roses — not the thorns. Let's talk about the good in each other — not the bad. That's the first step in good fellowship — the see- ing of good in others. * * * Suggestions to leaders: Apply the ideas discussed in the lesson to the prin- ciples of etiquette as contained in pre- vious lesson. Interpretation By Professor Edward P. Kimball, Taken Largely From the Author's "Choristers' Manual" In "interpretation" is embodied everything concerned with the repro- duction of a song or a piece of music except the purely physical agencies em- ployed in bringing the notes into being as sound, and even these are involved in such a way as to make it impossible to think of interpretation without taking some of them into account, among these being reading, voice, breathing, enunciation, etc. The meaning of interpret is "to ex- plain, to elucidate, to make clear the meaning of," and this definition holds good in music, for the performer finds that his task is to make clear to his auditors the message of the composer. In the matter of interpretation con- sideration of the composer cannot be omitted, for, in the words of von Sternberg, the interpreter is a messen- ger from the composer to the audience. And "as a messenger is accountable to both sender and recipient of his mes- sage, so is the interpretive artist in a position of two-fold trust, and, there- fore, a two-fold responsibility. The sender of his message — creative genius — is behind him; before him sits an expectant and confiding audience, the sovereign addressee. The interpretive artist, therefore, first has to enter into the spirit of his message: to penetrate its ultimate meaning: to read in, as well as between, the lines. And then he has to train and develop his facul- ties of delivery, of vital production, to such a degree as to enable him to fix his message decisively, and with no danger of being misunderstood, in the mind of the audience." He might have gone on to say that if one is to be able to understand a mes- sage for his own information, and if this understanding is to give him some- thing intelligible for his audience, he must be able to read the language in which the message is written. The more subtle meanings of language are plain to us only in proportion to our knowledge of the true meaning of words, and the uses of punctuation. Music and language are closely ana- logous. A knowledge of all the sym- bols and signs used in a printed page of music is essential to a correct un- derstanding of the composer's intent, because our present system of notation, is so complete and comprehensive as to make it possible to express in minute detail practically every effect desired, and the performer is weak or strong in proportion to his ability, or lack of it, to read this music language easily, and with the same understanding of its various subtleties, as he reads his 256 IMPROVEMENT ERA mother tongue. Therefore, it may be said that interpretation is founded up- on the written language of music — notation. Added to this for the singer is the text, but the former must be studied as such, while the latter is one of the things we understand because it is the medium in which we express all our thoughts. One important factor in the written page which contributes to proper in- terpretation is the tempo sign of the composition, which indicates the rate of speed desired by the composer. This is made by the use of words — usually Italian — which must be known if the performer is to get the correct concep- tion of tempo. Briefly, these may be classified as follows: The very slowest tempo: Larghissimo (superlative of Largo) . Adagissimo (superlative of Adagio) . Lentissimo (superlative of Lento) . A very slow tempo: Largo (from Latin "largus" — broad- large) . Adagio (at ease) . Lento (slow) . A slow tempo: Larghetto (diminutive of Largo) . Adagietto (diminutive of Adagio) . A moderately slow tempo: Andante (going or walking) . Andantino (diminutive of Andante, meaning literally "going less," but, because of a misconception of the term, now more frequently under- stood as meaning slightly faster than andante) . A moderate tempo: Moderate A moderately rapid tempo: Allegro (cheerful) . Allegretto (diminutive of Allegro — little slower than Allegro) . A very rapid tempo: Con moto (with motion) . Vivo (lively) . Vivace (vivacious) . Presto (quick) . Presto assai (very quick) . The most rapid tempo possible: Prestissimo (superlative of Presto) . Vivacissimo (superlative of Vivace) . Allegrissimo (superlative of Allegro) . Prestissimo possible (hyper-superlative of Presto) . These terms may be, and often are, followed by qualifying words, in which case they should be looked up in a music dictionary. The above are the primary designations most com- monly used to indicate tempo. Words which indicate change in tempo should also be looked up. The performer must know the meaning of every sign and expression used on a page of music. Because of difference in opinion as to the degree of speed designated by the words given above, it is not possible to indicate exact tempo without the aid of the metronome. Each tick of the metronome is loudly audible and by the ticks the performer governs his tempo. It is known as the "Maelzel Metronome," and its use on a com- position is printed M. M. (Maelzel's Metronome) followed by a note and some figures, thus: M. M.=80 or just =80. The machine is regulated to allow the number of ticks at which the weight is placed to pass in a minute: viz.: at 80, eighty ticks per minute. etc. Another important factor in the ex- pressive performance of music is the loudness and softness of tone, desig- nated by the technical term "dynam- ics." The composer has much to do with this phase of expression, and in modern standard music indications by the composers are plainly given in the score, and yet a large part of the responsibility for proper dynamic con- trast rests with performer, and cer- tainly greater liberty is taken with dy- namics than with tempo. Much of the emotional effect of a composition is conveyed by the changes from "piano" to "forte" and vice versa, the development of "crescendo" and "decrescendo," the use of accents on notes or chords, as well as the subtle shadings in the interpretations which are referred to as "dynamic nuances." MUTUAL WORK 257 "Crescendo" is one of the most power- ful means at the disposal of the per- former, and should be thoroughly un- derstood, even though its use is varied. The safest rule to follow is to assume that "crescendo" means increase, and should not be thought of otherwise unless it is followed by one of the many qualifying expressions, which, if they are to be understood, must be looked up in a dictionary. From this definition it is logical to infer that crescendo must begin with the degree of tone that is being employed in the passage in which the direction is found. For example, if the passage is being done softly the crescendo should begin softly and form an increase to the quantity of the passage; on the other hand, if the passage is loud, the cres- cendo will begin loud, and increase ac- cording to the length it is to be ob- served. This points out two miscon- ceptions of the use of crescendo which are often heard. Some performers be- gin every crescendo loud, irrespective of the degree of loudness or softness of the passage; or soft in every instance, causing in either case an abruptness and variation in the interpretation which is illogical, and which destroys the emo- tional effect of the rendition. Then there is the common disposition to accelerate the tempo with every cres- cendo, and retard it with every de- crescendo, both being bad faults where it is not directed, or where the context does not warrant it. Often the exact opposite in each case would prove much more effective. The achievement of a perfect and consistent crescendo is greatly to be desired. Following is a list, quite compre- hensive, of the commonest terms used by composers to indicate dynamic ef- fects: pianississimo (ppp) , pianissimo pos- sible— softly as possible pianissimo (pp) , superlative of piano — very softly piano (p) , softly piu piano, more softly il piu piano, most softly piano assai, very softly mezzo piano (mp) , moderately softly forte (f ) , loudly fortissimo (ff) , very loudly — super- lative of forte fortississimo (fff) , as loudly as pos- sible piu forte, more loudly il piu forte, most loudly il piu forte possible, as loudly as pos- sible mezzo forte (mf ) , moderately loudly forte-piano, loudly followed imme- diately by softly forzando, sforzando, (sf or sfz) , for- sato (fz) , sforzato (sfz) . These words indicate that a single note or chord is to be accented, the amount of stress depending upon the char- acter of the passage Also the sign resembling a caret, on its side or pointing upward. reinforzando (rnf ) , rinforzato (rfz) , reinforced, a definite increase in power extending through a phrase or passage crescendo (cres) , gradually louder, in- dicated also by lines beginning at a point and gradually separating to indicate an increase in tone decrescendo (decres) , diminuendo (dim) , gradually softer, indicated also by lines beginning some dis- tance apart and running together to a point, the opposite to the above crescendo poco a poco, becoming louder little by little crescendo subito, becoming louder im- mediately crescendo m o 1 t o. becoming much louder crescendo al fortissimo, becoming louder until fortissimo has been reached crescendo poi diminuendo, crescendo e diminuendo, gradually louder and then gradually softer crescendo ed animando, gradually louder and faster diminuendo al pianissimo, gradually softer until pianissimo has been reached morendo, perdeneosi, smorzando, cal- 258 IMPROVEMENT ERA ando, gradually dying away, softer and slower by small degrees con amore, with tenderness con bravura, with boldness con energia, with energy con expressione, expressivo with ex- pression con brio, with brilliancy con fuoco, with fire con passione, with passion con grazia, with grace con tenereza, with tenderness dolce, gently (literally, sweetly) giocosso, humorously giojosco, joyously con maesta, maestoso, majestically pastorale, in pastoral style pomposo, pompously scherzando, scherzoso, jokingly sotto voce, with subdued voice. In his helpful book on conducting, Gehrkens presents valuable suggestions on dynamics, some of which are given below. Those remarks about instru- ments are applicable also to vocal groups, so a study of them is recom- mended. Among other things he says: "The pianissimo of choruses and orchestras is seldom soft enough. The extreme limit of soft tone is very ef- fective in both choral and orchestral music, and most conductors seem to have no adequate notion of how soft the tone may be made in such passages. This is especially true of chorus music in the church service; and even the gospel singer, Sankey, is said to have found that the softest, rather than the loudest, singing was spiritually the most impressive. "Pianissimo singing or playing does not imply a slower tempo, and in working with very soft passages the conductor must be constantly on guard lest the performers begin to 'drag.' If the same virile and spirited response is insisted upon in such places as is de- manded in ordinary passages, the ef- fect will be greatly improved, and the singing moreover will not nearly so likely fall from pitch. "The most important voice from the standpoint of melody must in some way be made to stand out above the other parts. This may be done in two ways: "1. By making the melody louder than the other parts. "2. By subduing the other parts sufficiently to make the melody prom- inent by contrast. "The second method is frequently the better and should more frequently be made use of in ensemble music than is now the case in amateur perform- ances." Again, he says: "In polyphonic music containing imitative passages, the part having the subject must be louder than the rest, especially at its first entrance. * * * In vocal music the accent and cres- cendo marks provided by the composer are intended merely to indicate the proper pronunciation of some part of the text. Often, too, they assist in the declamation of the text by indicating the climax of the phrase, i. e., the point of the greatest emphasis. The dynamic directions provided by the composers are intended to indicate only the broader and more obvious effects, and it will be necessary for the per- former to introduce many changes not indicated in the score. [This is im- portant, but must not be abused!] All expression signs are relative, never absolute, and piano, crescendo, sfor- zando, etc., are frequently overdone by amateurs. Both conductors and per- formers seeming to imagine that every time the word crescendo occurs the per- formers are to blow or sing at the very top of their power and that sforzando means a violent accent approaching the effect of a blast of dynamite, whether occurring in the midst of a vigorous, spirited movement, or in a tender lullaby." On this point Berlioz says: "Simple shadings become thick blurs, accents become passionate shrieks. The effects intended by the poor composer are quite distorted and the attempts of the conductors to be artistic, however honest they may be, MUTUAL WORK 259 remind one of the tenderness of the ass in the fable, who knocked his master down in trying to caress him." The discussion of interpretation will close with a short consideration of a very important element — phras- ing, which in music is similar to phrasing in language. In both cases it is a thought, incomplete, and form- ing a part of some larger idea, which must be slightly, though definitely, separated from the preceding and fol- lowing phrases so that it may be un- derstood. Nevertheless, it must be rendered, in relation to foregoing and consequent material, so as to take its part as an integral part of the whole. It is necessary to emphasize the im- portant words of a language and the most significant tones in a music phrase, as well as to subordinate the lesser important parts in such a way as to project the whole as complete and clear. It is not necessary here to draw attention to the importance of phras- ing in the reading of a language, since one could scarcely convey the meaning of the thought groups to the listener without causing the important ele- ments to stand out by stressing them and separating each from the other. While phrasing of music is not so easy to understand or to effect, because of the absence of symbolism, it is never- theless quite as important in the ex- pressive performance of music as it is in language. To quote Gehrken again: "In order to interpret properly, the conductor must first of all determine what tones belong together in a group; must make the individuality of these groups evident by slightly separating them, but usually not to the degree of distributing the basic rhythmic flow; and must manage the dynamics and tempo of each phrase as to make its content clear to the listener." In vocal music, the task is not dif- ficult, because the composer has gener- ally adapted his musical phrase to the text, and all that is necessary to do is to follow the phrasing of the text. The conductor may well be warned against the commonest faults resulting in poor phrasing, the avoidance of which will improve materially his choir's work. One authority cites as the most common mistakes the follow- ing: 1. Taking breath unnecessarily in the middle of the phrase. 2. Breathing between the syllables of a word. 3. Dividing a long phrase improp- erly. 4. Running over breathing places, where a pause is really necessary in order to bring out the meaning of the text. 5. Pronouncing the unaccented syllable of a word at the end of a phrase with too much emphasis. 6. Failing to stress the climax suf- ficiently. These mistakes are most frequently made, because the singer fails to base his phrasing upon the text, but con- siders only the music. One can apply the principles of oral expression to phrasing in music with profit. If one will examine sacred song texts one will often see the reason for careful phrasing. For example, if the poet writes: Jesus lives! no longer now Can thy terrors, Death, appall us! and the choir or singer phrases it: Jesus lives no longer now, Can thy terrors, Death, appall us? the result is not true, but this sort of thing is met constantly. Even in long phrases which cannot be sung without breathing, care must be taken to make the punctuation so that it does not change the text. Subsequent lessons will deal in more detail with the breath and its effects. Sufficient has been given under the title, "Interpretation," to furnish the chor- isters with some definite helps in ren- dering properly any page of music closely in harmony with the com- poser's intention. 260 IMPROVEMENT ERA Efficiency Report for November, 1928 STAKE bo .8 ■4-1 (U QJ s o 4-1 S '5 ri bO o a VI .a 6 S u C •a 4— > < > < *-» ]> *-» u < "C a 00 c '3 c c .5 3 O DO g..S o 4-1 a g c a Q <3 c 01 E S o c a E 13 C 3 PU 9 10 6 12 5 6 5 29 8 4 1 7 2 18 10 10 5 21 5 10 21 15 11 12 15 10 11 27 10 10 10 14 7 13 10 10 15 15 8 5 17 20 12 13 19 10 12 25 1 6 6 7 6 15 4 4 4 13 2 4 19 19 11 14 19 10 10 29 6 3 18 19 7 12 11 9 12 22 2 1 10 14 5 ._. 9 6 6 20 10 4 13 21 12 10 16 7 12 18 10 11 12 16 15 10 8 8 2 8 5 17 22 21 9 13 20 10 15 33 5 9 9 13 9 14 6 6 7 13 4 11 9 8 8 8 6 6 14 3 8 16 21 9 12 18 10 13 23 7 9 15 18 8 13 14 9 8 23 6 2 12 11 9 14 7 8 14 17 10 5 6 7 3 5 8 4 20 1 3 16 16 11 12 12 10 10 15 4 8 13 10 9 10 4 6 2 10 12 2 15 16 9 12 18 10 13 24 2 4 1 6 5 10 6 4 7 7 4 14 8 7. 14 4 2 3 3 3 4 17 16 8 12 15 9 11 22 7 5 30 21 13 16 20 10 10 32 7 7 22 20 13 13 20 10 13 34 4 20 1 n 15 9 1 1 15 10 10 37 5 10 1 io 9 7 10 10 5 3 12 5 5 1 4 4 2 14 - 3 5 2 1 14 15 8 13 14 9 14 21 6 6 1 7 6 6 17 5 3 5 2 2 1 15 15 11 13 11 7 6 18 10 7 1 4 16 10 12 19 10 13 24 10 7 1 9 18 1 9 10 10 10 7 10 1 15 15 12 14 15 9 8 18 9 9 1 13 17 9 11 16 10 8 20 10 15 1 8 1 12 11 | 7 8 6 5 15 8 12 1 13 | 10 9 1 12 9 6 6 16 5 5 4 I 5 1 4 I 13 4 3 2 4 1 2 13 | 15 12 | 9 4 8 6 20 5 9 5 1 5 | 17 | 8 6 4 3 2 7 4 1 11 I 10 1 5 I 18 10 10 10 9 1 5 3 io I 10 I 4 1 14 1 3 1 7! 7 8 1 3 1 Bear River Beaver . — Box Elder Cache East Jordan .__ Emery Ensign Granite Grant Gunnison Lehi Liberty Millard Nebo North Davis .. North Sanpete North Weber Ogden Oquirrh Parowan Pioneer Portneuf Roosevelt Salt Lake Sevier South Davis _ South Sanpete South Sevier . Uintah Weber _. Blaine Franklin .. Fremont Idaho Idaho Falls .._ Malad Minidoka Pocatello Rigby Shelley Teton Yellowstone _. Big Horn MUTUAL WORK 261 STAKE bo a c o n N '5 CO 6 a T3 G CD < do V3 < C 'S C > ° O .5 CO a e "J -a ** 0 s 6 M r3 u UJ c E o CX -a a s 'o r3 s o 2 < C/3 3 O 00 >-j Q H tu h Hollywood 19 17 17 13 J is 10 16 22 6 12 147 Los Angeles 20 20 11 15 1 18 10 17 33 12 14 170 Maricopa - 12 15 13 14 18 9 13 23 6 10 133 15 13 13 12 14 13 9 11 6 15 15 13 16 13 12 7 7 7 10 9 7 17 23 13 20 14 6 13 7 7 134 Taylor - 126 Woodruff - _ 97 Young _ 13 13 11 18 14 10 ____ 16 6 2 103 California Mission 19 3 13 13 16 10 3 16 16 19 138 N. W. States Mission _ 17 17 18 14 17 10 1 10 16 18 15 152 Central States Mission 3 2 5 4 3 2 1 2 1 1 5 28 Public Obligation in Music Does not the community owe a great deal to the parent who spends his money, often hard-earned, to provide musical training for his child? And to the child as well, who sacrifices, sad to relate, many of the pleasures of child- hood to develop his ability to play an instrument and ultimately to give the community a measure of aesthetic enjoyment? Should not the first duty be to encourage those who show initiative, ability, and industry in music, and to assist them by supplying the training which the private individual finds beyond his scope to provide? Should not the community come to the aid of the private teacher and make his work more vital and far-reaching by furnish- ing his pupil with the opportunity to apply the principles he is teaching and the ability he is developing? I believe the most vital need today in the field of instrumental music is the working out, in all the schools throughout the country, of a general musical scheme of ensemble and orchestral training. This would supply a powerful stimulus to those who already play, and would arouse interest in instrumental music. — By Charles Kent, Supervisor of Music, Rock Springs Public Schools. Wyoming. John Milton 0 Milton, there is much I owe to thee, Aside from word of inspiration flowing from that pen Which gave to me a grasp of truth sublime Concerning my primeval state beyond mere mortal ken. 1 see from out thy days in darkness spent. The drama of a life, a soul with no desire for rest. One mighty fact of service I have culled; That just by patient waiting one may often serve the best. Raymond, Canada HELEN KIMBALL ORGILL