Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Author(s): W. H. Mellers
Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 82, No. 1177 (Mar., 1941), pp. 96-98
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/921036 .
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96
THE MUSICAL
TIMES
March 1941
On WritingAboutMusic
W.H.MELLERS
By
March 1941
THE MUSICAL
TIMES
97
98
THE MUSICAL
TIMES
March 1941
W. R. ANDERSON
a
name honoured
READER bearing family
wherever
churchmusicis knowndoes me
the kindnessto feedthat'insatiable appetite forwonders' to which some time ago I confessed. He tells me that he, who is inclined to
singsharp,seemsto make choirssingsharp,tooeven beforehe has taught them. For example,
as a member of a certain congregationhe had
realized that the choir sang flat; yet when he
took over the controlof the music,but beforehe
had taken any practice, the choir sang sharp,
as soon as he played the organ,'and thistendency
continuedduringmy tenure' (it should be added
that his wifehas checkedall this; she has a very
keen and exact ear, and indeed, calls him to
account forhis sharp singing). Second example :
she, singing some carols to his organ accompaniment (the firsttime she had done so) told him
that she 'had a great fightnot to sing sharp.'
They are convinced that it has nothing to do
with his registration. In fourteen years at
another church 'there was always the tendency
[for the choir] to sing sharp, which was not
presentwhen my deputyplayed. He has an idea
that thought-transference
is at work, 'but this
seems very far-fetched.' Can anyone fetch a
nearershot ?
Equally queer-sounding,but easier to understand, was the storyof the man whomMr. Agate
met, who got asthma every time he heard 'God
Save the King.' 'The poor fellowwas a great
lover of opera, and afterevery Wagnerian crisis
had to retireto the cloak-roomto inject adrenalin.'
(We might, in a fantastic, hopeful
homeopathy, try adrenalin on our Wagnerhaters? Or somethingelse beginningwith the
same letter.)
Anotherof Agate's stories,told him by Moiseiwitsch, is of table-rappingin a countryhouse.
The pianistwas not takingpart. The table rapped
out 'L-I-S-Z-T,' over and over again, arid on
different
nights,it would appear. One evening
it ran over to the piano, 'and began knockingin
the rhythmof the Polonaise in E, includingthe
trill.' No trickerywas observed. More marvels,
please!
'
One offewrecentbroadcast' firstperformances
was of Aaron Copland's 'Outdoor Overture.' I
am always glad to hear Americanmusic,though
much of the recentoutput suffersfromthe jazztouch. This little nine-minuteramble picks up
bits of cheerful tune and treats them, with
xylophone trimmings,with a sort of Russian
irresponsibility.The orchestrationsoundedbrittle, and I feltsomethingof French shrillnessin