Walton High School - Periwinkle Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

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The Doweia ol Music See deep enough, says Sidney Lanier, and you see musically, the heart of Nature being everywhere, musicf, For the past few years, we have been living through troubled times, Yet, if we look deeply enough, we can see that although our material losses have been severe, our spiritual gains have been great. Never before have the people of the world realized the necessity of music, now have they realized its vast extent. Today, music, as well as all the other arts, has been given rebirth. Through- out the past few years, music has been placed in the background because of the vast entertainment found in less intellectual activi- ties. Today, we find a quickening interest in, and a greater apprecia- tion for, every form of music, This is because humanity in its greatest need has always turned to the arts. All men need music, for comfort, enjoyment and inspiration. Few can be found who will admit that music holds no interest for them, Music brings forth the fine qualities in the oldest and young- est, the weakest and strongest. Shakespeare in lulius Caesar portrays the weakness of a man who is unmoved by music. l-le loves no plays, Anthony, he hears no music, seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort, as if he mocked himself and scorned his spirit that could be moved to smile at anything. Such men as he be never at heart's ease. Shakespeare shows clearly that unless men be endowed with appreciation of music, they are lacking qualities necessary to human beings. Charles lvl. Schwab, one of the men who realizes that music is needed to cheer, comfort and help the unfortunate, has expressed his profound desire that the people of today be given worthwhile music composed by famous musicians of the past and of the pres- ent day. Through his generosity, a nation-wide audience of radio listeners is given hours of such music, 4 One rainy Saturday afternoon several years ago, john D. Rocke- feller entered a concert hall and to his utmost amazement found the auditorium jammed with people, ordinary, every-day people who were so music-hungry that they stood in long rows throughout the entire concert, which lasted several hours. lt was an appreciative, an understanding, and a grateful audience. lvlr, Rockefeller vowed at that moment that, if the people of New York loved and appre- ciated music to such an extent, he would promote all his efforts to foster a deeper love throughout the city. Thus was born the inspira- Q O at O l'Q I Q 5 0

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Birds QQ Ot you, oh heavenly minstrels, Ot you, the poets sing, For your silver-throated voices , Do their praises ring. 0 N I sm ,Q Q 9, For your music e'er so sweet, They Iaud you and applaud you, Ot you, their poems treat. For the happiness you bring them, 'Tis small wonder Wordsworth worshipped you, Oh pilgrim of the sky, As he saw you, soaring skylark, d Mount higher in your flight. 5 That Shelley poured out his heart 0 To you, oh self-same bird, And envied you such freedom When your notes ot joy he heard. And you, oh chanting nightingale, Within yon shady glen, Did charm the beauty-loving Keats With your melodious strain. I T The darling of the Spring. And you, whom Wordsworth chose to name You, oh cuckoo, who, though never seen, yy Art always heard to sing. While you, green linnet, in your glad array, Dost hop among the trees, And appear, indeed, to be A brother of the dancing leaves. Thus, oh winged songsters, Do the poets sing your praise, And for the joy you bring to them, They, too, their voices raise. GERTRUDE ELION

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C O u 1 9'l 9 I I I S tion for the building of Radio City. Men such as lVlr. Lewisohn and Mr. Guggenheim give free concerts throughout the summer. The world's finest music by the greatest composers of all times is presented. ln the choice of music, it matters not whether we listen to Brahms stirring choral compositions, l3eethoven's symphonies and sonatas, Wagner's immortal operas or Bach's unexcelled composi- tions for violin and organ. Our choice may turn to lighter subjects, such as The Merry Widow by Franz Lehar, Tales of Hoffman, and other famous light operas and operettas. Even the musical comedy offers enjoyment. Liszt's l.iebestraum, Ravel's 'lBolero, or Rachmaninoffs Prelude, all lift us into another world and we give thanks to the Almighty that such beauty be placed on the earth, Hfor music gentlier on the spirit lies than tired eye-lids on tired eyes. lvlusic has the power to preserve, to create, and to destroy, there- fore it should be treated accordingly. lt musft be applied fittingly to the time, occasion and mood, or its beauty will be destroyed. This may be done readily, for there is music for every mood and every temperament, music to suit the romantic imagination, the courage- ous, warlike temperament, and music to please the practical music lover. Alexander's Feastl' by Dryden clearly portrays this. We find Timotheus playing for Alexander, playing to suit Alexander's moods, and playing in such a way that Alexander is completely under the control and power of music. Beautifully quoted are these lines, l-le raised a mortal to heaven, She brought the angels down, thus contrasting Tirnotheus's power and St, Cecilia's. Finally, to enjoy music is to appreciate Cod's gifts, created for the sake of all mankind. Nothing, to me, seems to fit the description of music more perfectly than the following lines. Although the writer is unknown, the lines have become famous because of their distinctive beauty: Music 'Servant and master am lf servant of those dead, and master of those living. Through my spirits immortals speak the message that makes the world weep and laugh, and wonder and worship. l tell the story of love, the story of hate, the story that saves, and the story that damns, l am the incense upon which prayers float to heaven, l am the smoke which palls over the field of battle, where men lie dying with me on their lips,