Berlin High School - Panther Yearbook (Berlin, OH)

Page 85 text:

MUSIC How many of you ever think of music as a wondrous link with God, taking the place of prayer when words have failed us 'neath a weight of care. Music, that knows no country, no race, no creed, but gives to each according to his need. Herbert Spenser reminds us that music must take rank as the finest of the fine arts as the one which, more than any other, ministers to human welfare. The great organist and composer Johann Sebastian Bach was asked one time how it is possible to achieve such perfection on the organ. His reply was, nPractice it well, and you will find it quite easy. You have as many good fingers on each hand as I have.n ' Niccolo Paganini amazed the world with his marveloup violin technique. Many people thought he must have supernatural powers, and when he was in London, a crowd followed him to touch and determine if he were actually flesh and blood! During his life, he was forced to publish letters from his mother to prove to the world that he was human. His stage appearance as well as his playing were responsible for the impression he created. Someone called him a dark form- looking as if it had risen from the underworld, but he said that all thoughts of Paganina's oddness and eccentricities vanished at the moment in which the marvelous master placed his violin under his chin and began to play. S. Parkes Cadman gives music a spicy terseness when he says, nNobody dreams of music in hell, and nobody conceives of Heaven without it.n This reminds us that music is the only art on earth that we are able to take to Heaven with us. A fine definition of music with its relation to the tones that constitute it, is found in Norman H. Hallis statement, nTones are the materials used to produce music, Like the letters of the alphabet, alone they have little or no mean- ing, but when arranged according to certain general rules of spelling and composition, they produce wonderful melodies, chords, and compositions. Some of us may be tempted to question the value of music for the large majority of people it is just for the few with inborn musical talentg listen to this conchusionz music is designed for the masses, it belongs to the masses, it is one of the principle means outsi e of Christianity, to refine the masses. It has been proved many times that people who love music, are in music groups, or encourage music study, have higher ideals and appreciations. Here is wonderful advice and encouragement to those who are studying to sing or playg play always as its master were listening. Schumann gave us this phrase.